Of Angels and Aftermaths
by GhostlyBob
Summary: Set after 'In the Shadows.' After returning from Hell, how will Jack cope and can Ianto bring him back to the world he knows? Update: Chapter 18 rated M
1. Chapter 1

**Right, introductions. Hi, I'm new to the whole fan fiction thing, although I have been writing my own things before this, just no guts to actually post anything. So here is my first story, hopefully with regular updates.**

**Title: Of Angels and Aftermaths**

**Spoilers: Mainly 'In the Shadows' as this is my take on what happened afterwards, but also Series 2**

**Summary: How does Jack cope with being back from Hell? Can Ianto really look after Jack and bring him back to the world he knows?**

**Disclaimer: Im not that clever to have come up with Torchwood or any of its characters, so they do not belong to me.** **Also, I very much enjoyed 'In the Shadows.' Joseph Lidster is a great writer.**

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'_Hello'_

'_Is anyone there?' _

'_Can anyone hear me?'_

Silence. Darkness. Jack Harkness stood alone in the shadows of the decrepit building with his fingers to his earpiece. And he began to panic.

****

The Rift alert had brought Toshiko, Owen, Ianto and himself to a rundown area just outside of Splott. They had left the loud noises and bright lights of Cardiff Bay behind when Toshiko's Rift alarm alerted them and they now found themselves at an old youth hostel which had seen better days. The small building, barely illuminated by the street lights, was ravaged by the marks of time; windows had been smashed, the garden full of weeds and the walls scarred with the graffiti of long ago. Left to decay in favour of game consoles and nightclubs, the teenagers of Splott paid no attention to the area. That was why no one questioned what a black SUV with shining blue lights was doing pulling up next to it in spectacular fashion. Nor did they question why a tall and handsome man in a military coat kicked down the door, pistol in his hand and with a small group of people tailing along behind.

****

'_Tosh? Owen? Ianto?'_

Jack tapped at his earpiece again, frantic to hear the voices of his teammates. He began to pace. He couldn't help himself. The darkness still lingered as Jack tried to retrace his steps. It couldn't be that hard to remember the way he came in. But as he walked around the room, trying to find the door he came through, the sweat began to build up on his brow and he fought back the sob growing in his throat.

'_Anyone?'_

_****_

'It's here,' Toshiko said as she read from her PDA. 'I'm not sure what it is, but it's definitely in this vicinity.' Owen and Ianto had both already drawn their guns and flashlights and were now beginning to sweep the room, alert and prepared. Jack flicked the light switch but to no avail, the room remained in darkness except for the small streams of light emitting from the flashlights. A small sigh passed his lips as he joined the rest of his team.

'Okay,' said Jack as he faced his them. 'Owen and Tosh, you take the left side of the building. Ianto, with me. Keep your comms open and stay together.' Tosh nodded as Owen led her down the corridor, whilst Jack watched as their flashlights began to grow fainter until they disappeared around a corner. He turned back to face Ianto, his eyes locking with those of the young man, allowing himself to smile and lose himself in those eyes for just a second. Those eyes, the ones that had saved him from the shadows not so long ago, seemed to gleam and make the darkness shrink around them.

'So,' Jack began as he tore his eyes away from Ianto and checked his pistol. 'How about we get a Chinese in tonight. A few films, under the covers...'

'How about we get out of here first before planning anything, sir?' Ianto, as dead pan as ever, turned to walk down the corridor. He hid his smile from Jack as they began to search the derelict rooms around them. 'Besides, don't forget I've banned you from ever eating takeaway in my bed again.' Jack smiled and followed him into the next room.

****

'Ianto? Ian...Ianto?' Jack managed to cry as he began to fumble with the door in front of him. It wouldn't open. Shaking slightly, he began to hammer at the door with his fists. The wind was beginning to whistle through the hole in the window and Jack was certain that the wind began to turn into whispers. Whispers that were coming closer, louder and for a second, Jack stopped banging on the door as the whispers began to sing. _Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses. _And Jack began to cry.

****

'Well, it's either in here or I have just wasted a perfectly good evening alone with you.' Jack huffed as he tried the handle of the final door along the corridor. It wouldn't budge. Forcing himself against the door, he used his shoulders to ease the door open. Time had rusted away the hinges and it took the combined force of both Jack and Ianto to finally get the door opened enough for them to get through.

'If there is anything in there, I think we've lost the element of surprise,' Ianto sighed as he allowed Jack to go in before him. His pistol raised in front of him, Jack carefully made his way into the darkened room. Silence greeted him as he shone his flashlight across the large room. Aside from some filing cabinets and a few dust sheets, the room stood relatively bare. Ianto was about to join him, but a voice coming down his ear made him pause.

_'Ianto,' _Tosh's voice was calm and steady, which reassured Ianto that they were safe. _'We've got it. It's a small... that's... reading....'_ The sound of static flowed down his earpiece as Ianto tapped at it, hoping to regain communication with Tosh. After a few attempts, Ianto gave up and turned into the room to face Jack. But Jack wasn't there. Shining his flashlight into the room, he scanned the area but still couldn't see his leader anywhere. Panic began to build up in the pit of his stomach as he tried his comms again, hoping the connection between him and Jack was still working.

'Jack?' No reply. 'Jack, can you hear me?' Static remained the only sound he could hear. Abandoning his comms, Ianto shouted for Jack but still there was no reply. Jack was gone.

****

The whispered singing had stopped. Hunched in the corner, his knees raised up to his chest, Jack Harkness sat alone. He knew it had been too good to be true. He hadn't escaped. It was all a lie, just like before. Ianto hadn't saved him, it was just the cruel tricks of Hell that had given him hope that he was finally free. The years that had passed, the horrors they had thrown up all paled in comparison with the events that were unfolding now. Jack was surrounded in darkness once more, away from his friends, away from any kind of civilisation.

That's when he heard the breathing. Small at first, he hadn't noticed it when he came into the room. Then, the breathing turned into a low growl and the sound of shuffling emanated from the opposite corner of the room. And Jack was terrified. Shining the flashlight to the noise, the shaking beam of light illuminated the figure. The inhuman figure. The Weevil. And as it lunged forward, all that Jack could do was brace himself for the pain and scream.

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**Evil cliffhanger, I know. But sadly that's it until the next update. That is, if people want updates.**


	2. Chapter 2

'Ianto,' Tosh pressed her hand to her ear, activating her comms. 'We've got it. It's a small, grey cylinder. That's all there is, no inscriptions or anything. Although the reading I'm getting from it is...' The sound of static began to play down Tosh's ear as she tried to alter the signal. 'Ianto?'

Owen looked to her with a worried expression, he tried his comms too, but nothing was working. Either Ianto and Jack had met with another object thrown at them by the Rift or this was a seriously wrong time for their equipment to go down. 'Okay, that is not a good sign.' Owen tried to add a small laugh to the end of the sentence, but with the events the day had already produced, it sounded hard and forced. He extracted a clear bag from his pocket and, putting on a pair of gloves, began to examine the artefact whilst Tosh continued taking her readings.

'Judging by the radiation coming from the cylinder...' Tosh began, as she continued to scan the object with her PDA.

'Whoa, radiation?' Owen gasped as he quickly stepped back from the object he had been examining for several minutes. 'You tell me now about radiation? Thanks, Tosh.'

'If you would let me finish, Owen.' Tosh snapped back at the medic. He had done it earlier before, interrupting her perfectly put together presentation. So what if it had been full of science. She didn't interrupt when Owen was boring them senseless with medical jargon. Snapping her focus back to the matter at hand, she continued. 'I was going to say that judging by the radiation from the cylinder, it has temporarily affected radio and communication wavelengths in this area. Public radio, Wi-Fi and,' indicating their comms, 'any phone lines are dead for the time being.'

'I'm sure that's pissed off quite a few Splott residents.' Owen returned to his position and, after receiving a nod from Tosh, carefully placed the cylinder in one of their clear plastic bags. 'So, any ideas what it is?' Owen looked up as he placed the bag into his larger rucksack. After all that had happened today, he was just looking forward to putting it in the archives and heading home to his fridge full of beer.

'As far as I can tell, it's empty,' Tosh replied as the two of them began to make their way out of the room. She tried her earpiece again, but all she kept getting was static. She wanted to get to the other side of the building as soon as she could, hoping that Jack and Ianto weren't worried. 'No sign of life inside, so we can rule out small spacemen.' She saw the smile spread across Owen's face, making her stomach flip with happiness. 'But there is some form of energy inside, most likely a by-product from travelling through the Rift.'

'JACK!' Suddenly, all thoughts of the device were washed away, as Ianto's voice echoed down the corridor. Owen and Tosh broke into a run.

***

'JACK!' Ianto couldn't help but scream Jack's name. He had only just got him back, there was no way he could cope with losing him again. Ianto had entered the room and frantically swept the area with his flashlight. He thought he could hear the muffled sound of banging, but couldn't detect the source of it.

'Ianto,' Tosh's voice flooded the corridor outside and Ianto backed out of the room to find Tosh and Owen appearing from around the corner. Rushing to his side, Tosh took hold of Ianto's shoulder as Owen raised his gun and peered into the room. 'What happened? Where's Jack?' Tosh made Ianto look directly at her, attempting to reassure him.

'I...I don't know.' Ianto replayed the events to Tosh and Owen as they both looked at him. 'He can't have just disappeared. There's no other exit.'

'There must be something,' Owen replied, as he made his way further into the room, Tosh and Ianto slowly following behind him. They went in silence as each of them moved towards the back of the room. It was much deeper than they had thought it was and it felt a lot longer than a few minutes before they reached the back. A row of filing cabinets lined the wall, marking a dead end and extracting a sigh of frustration from Owen.

That's when they heard the screaming. Muffled, at first, it began to grow louder and unmistakable. Jack was screaming, but it wasn't a scream of pain, Ianto knew, it was a scream of terror. He'd heard it many times, being woken by it in the middle of the night when Jack had had nightmares not long after he had come back from being with the Doctor. Frantically scanning the rows of cabinets in front of them, Ianto finally found a small gap between them. As he looked through them, he spotted a closed door. Squeezing his way through to the door, he tugged at the handle fiercely, willing it to allow him to get to Jack. Suddenly, the door sprang open and the team were met with a harrowing sight.

Jack was crouched on the floor, his face obscured by the dominating presence of the Weevil. It was pressing into Jack with its paws and attacking his neck. Without thinking, Ianto took a shot and fired a bullet straight into the Weevil's shoulder. It drew away from its prey, blood dripping from its mouth as it eyed the new arrivals. It managed a small growl before being blinded by the mace Owen sprayed into its face. With the help of Tosh, they backed the creature into the corner, sedated it and began to restrain it.

Ianto stared in shock for a while at Jack. The Weevil had bitten Jack at the bottom of his neck and had narrowly avoided his throat. The blood poured down onto Jack's shirt, staining the material and soaking through it to his chest. But Jack just sat there. He didn't flinch in pain, neither did he acknowledge the presence of his team. His eyes just stared coldly forward as tears continued to pour out of them. His arms wrapped around his knees, he pulled them tightly to his chest and began to shake.

'Jack?' Ianto knelt down at his Captain's side and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. No response. 'Jack, it's me. It's Ianto.' Again, Jack's wide eyes stared forward and showed no signs of understanding. Ianto could do nothing, except to call out for Owen. Joined by the medic, both men tried to get Jack to respond and both failed. The blood continued to leak from the wound as Owen attempted to slow the flow with a roll of cloth he took from his rucksack.

'Ianto, mate. You gotta get him to come round. I think he's going into shock and we can't let that happen here.' Owen extracted a pain killer from his supplies and began to ready Jack's hand for the injection when a small voice emitted from Jack's mouth.

'No.' Jack's eyes flickered down to his hand as he looked at the needle hovering above it. 'No...please don't.' Jack began to sob as he tried to move away from Owen and further into the corner. The strong hands that held him stopped him from moving and he began to panic.

'Jack, it's me.' Ianto was struggling to keep his voice calm as he tried to lock eyes with Jack. 'It's okay. I'm here.' He put a hand up to Jack's face, only for Jack to flinch and turn away, tears continuing to flow. Then all of a sudden, everything fell into place. 'Jack, I promise you, you're not there anymore. You're back home, with me. You're safe, we stopped Patrick and got you out, remember. Let us help you.'

Slowly, the tears began to stop. Jack blinked the last few away from his sight and began to focus on the people surrounding him. He saw Tosh approaching him, crouching down next to Owen, who had returned the needle to his supplies. Both wore shocked and concerned faces as they leaned forward. Turning his head, he found himself looking straight into a pair of shining blue eyes. A pair of eyes he knew so well and as he let his hand fall onto the face of their owner, he muttered a single word.

'Ianto?'

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**So, how damaged is Jack? Can Ianto reassure him he's no longer in Hell? And, what does the device do (well, even I don't know at the moment so we are together in our thoughts). Until next time...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note: I know, I'm sorry I have been a rather naughty girl for not updating. Work has been so hectic recently all I've had time to do is work and sleep, maybe fitting time in for a sandwich. But I promise you I shall try and keep a continous flow of updates from now on. I will definitly have the next chapter of this up by Monday, Sunday evening if I get home early. Anyways, please enjoy and thanks to those who have reviewed so far.**

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The journey back through the streets of Cardiff was quiet. No one said anything, no one could. Owen kept his eyes fixed on the road, whilst Toshiko attempted to busy herself by replaying the evening's data on the mysterious artefact over and over again. Neither of them looked at the two figures curled against each other on the back seats. Neither of them wanted to look at the figure of their Captain clinging desperately to Ianto, burying his head in the young man's chest as he slipped in and out of a restless sleep. Neither of them wanted to discuss what to do with their broken leader.

***

'Ianto?'

Jack continued to explore the young man's face with his hand. The soft flesh tingled under his touch as Jack began to return to his surroundings. He remembered it now, he knew what had happened. Foolishly, he had left Ianto behind him when he went exploring in the room. As he walked towards the far end, he noticed the line of filing cabinets, neatly arranged in a straight line. Walking along, he had noticed the gap and shining his flashlight through the gap, an old door was illuminated. Jack thought of it as nothing but a closet and was about to turn to leave, when he thought he heard the sound of movement coming from behind. Ever the act-first-think-logically-later man that he was, Jack had moved behind the cabinets and opened the door.

'Yes, I'm here.' Ianto covered Jack's hand with his own, bringing it towards his mouth as he placed a gentle kiss to his...friend's knuckles. Jack's wide eyes still shone with tears as he allowed himself a sob of relief from Ianto's contact.

'Really,' Jack whispered. 'You're really here? No more lies?'

'No more lies, Jack. We're all here.' Ianto indicated his concerned colleagues and allowed the Captain to turn from his gaze to face them. 'Well, except for Gwen, of course.' Ianto tried to lighten the mood when he saw a look of worry pass over Jack's features. 'I'm sure it's the only time Rhys is ever going to feel indebted to you for flying them off to Paris.' His small laugh caught in his throat as he saw Jack's face turn to thunder as he looked towards Tosh.

'I thought I told you to keep your comms open at ALL times.' Tosh backed away, afraid at the sudden change in Jack's attitude and the anger in his voice. 'Doesn't anyone ever listen to me?' She tried to speak but she was stopped by Owen's equally distressing outburst.

'Pack that in now, Harkness. Or so help me, we'll quite gladly get those Lucifer matches out of storage.' Ignoring the cold stare he was receiving from Ianto, Owen continued in his onslaught. It was bad enough a Weevil had been using his boss as a chew-toy, but then blaming it on Tosh was one step too far for Owen to take for this day. Explaining in the calmest and simplest way possible, Owen filled both Jack and Ianto in on what had happened when they found the artefact. 'So don't you dare start taking out your pent up feelings on us. You went to Hell and back, fine. But don't drag us all into it as well.'

With one sudden move, Owen was away from Jack and began to drag the unconscious body of the Weevil out of the room. Giving Tosh a knowing nod, she stood up and helped Owen out of the room with their second catch of the night.

Jack wanted to speak out. He wanted to call out to them. Apologise, beg and plead for their forgiveness. He needed them together; he needed to have his family with him. When he had been told about their demise in Hell, it was the first time he had tried to shoot himself. Everyone was gone, he was alone and he couldn't take it anymore. A simple bullet to the head would give him some kind of peace and would hopefully take him with them, to where they were destined to go. Anywhere but where he was.

The memories were interrupted painfully by the movement of his neck, the flesh and nerves had yet to fully knit themselves back together after the Weevil attack. Placing a hand to the area, he met with Ianto's hand as he began to peel away the cloth.

'Not 100% yet, I'm afraid.' Ianto gave Jack a small smile, trying to defuse the tension that still lingered tangibly in the air.

'I know,' Jack voice was barely a whisper as he tried to pull himself to his feet, aided by the steady hand of Ianto. Jack's tone spoke more than words could. He was definitely not back to himself, not yet. The previous drinks at the bar before the Rift alert had put Jack in a confident mood, the memories of Hell lingering no longer on his shoulders. But Jack knew, deep down, they still hovered above him, looming above like dark shadows waiting to strike at him once more. He was still frightened of the shadows. And Ianto knew it.

'Come on,' Ianto said as he nudged his Captain to the door. 'Let's go home. I think someone mentioned something about Chinese under the covers.' He gave Jack a wicked smile as he looked deep into his eyes.

'But I thought you said...' Jack couldn't continue as Ianto raised his hand to Jack's lips, silencing him. He then brushed a stray hair away from Jack's face as he pulled him into an embrace.

'Well, I think I can make an exception.' His smile grew as he continued to smooth Jack's hair. 'But only this once, mind.'

Jack leaned forward and captured Ianto's lips in a soft kiss. They remained that way for several minutes, neither wanting to deepen the kiss or pull away from it. As they finally pulled away from each other, Jack gave a small moan of contentment, before allowing Ianto to lead him out of the room, who cradle Jack to his chest.

And as the wind continued to blow throughout the building, two small words were carried along with it.

'My angel.'

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**Note (spoilerish): The Lucifer Matches were the things used to send Jack to Hell, just in case people haven't yet listened to 'In the Shadows.'**

**I know this sounds like a nice and happy ending (I, for once, didnt use an evil cliffy. I must be overworked) but don't think that's the end of it. Jack still has a long way to go before he's back to his normal self. Next chapter, though, will be very much focused on Ianto and Owen, as I feel I've left Owen out of it too much. Until next time...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone. As promised, here is the next chapter. I would have had it up yesterday, only the weather was nice and I had a leaving do for a work colleague. As for the next chapter, I shall have it up on Wednesday for you and that's a GhostlyBob guarantee.**

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'Right, let's get this done quick so we're not all shagged out in the morning.' Owen brought the SUV to a stop in the garage as Tosh began to collect herself. Putting away her PDA in Owen's rucksack, she stepped out of the car and headed towards the back to help Owen with the Weevil, the rucksack swinging on her shoulder. She glanced fleetingly at the back seats as she saw Ianto trying to prop Jack into a sitting position. The pang of sadness in her chest grew as she saw Ianto brush away the hair from Jack's forehead, giving a sad smile to his partner.

'Jack,' Ianto said softly as he tried to rouse the sleepy Captain. 'Come on, Jack. Wake up for me now. We have to get you out of the SUV.'

'Home?' Jack sleepily replied as he struggled to maintain eye contact with Ianto. His face fell slightly as Ianto shook his head.

'Not just yet, Jack. I think Owen might need a hand to carry the Weevil down to the cells.' Ianto gave a small smile as he raised Jack's face to his own, in an effort to keep him awake. 'You wouldn't want Tosh breaking her back carrying it down instead, would you?'

As if on cue, the passenger door to Jack's side was swung open by a slightly annoyed Owen. Jack, taken by surprise, gave a small yelp and huddle further into Ianto's shoulder. Rubbing circles across his back, Ianto reassured Jack that nothing was going to happen.

'Jack, come on,' Owen held out a hand to Jack as he looked towards his leader. 'Get out of the car so Ianto can give me a hand.'

'No.' Jack's stubborn reply would have been almost comical at any other time. Clinging to Ianto, he was behaving every inch like a disgruntled three year old child. Any other time, it would have been comical. But at this precise time, Owen was in no laughing mood.

'Dammit, Jack!' The red mist was beginning to descend over the medic's eyes. He really couldn't take anymore of this. 'Get out of the bloody car, right now. That Weevil is gonna wake up real soon, so unless you want him to batter us around like toys, I suggest you deal and let Ianto help me.'

He knew he had gone too far, but the words were already out of his mouth. Ianto, his face like thunder, looked set to beat Owen into a bloody pulp. However, the sudden movement of their leader took all focus off the tension between the two. Jack pulled suddenly out of Ianto's hold and ungracefully scrambled out of the back of the SUV. With his face down, so that the rest of his team could not see the tears forming behind his eyes, he waved to Ianto, signalling for him to get out of the car.

'Thank you, Jack.' Owen gave a quick glance to him, before turning round to face the onslaught of Ianto's wrath. But none came and that was when Owen knew he had really screwed up. An angry Ianto, he'd seen before. Heck, an angry Ianto would shoot him in the shoulder and think nothing more of it. But the silence. The anger controlled and pushed back by the mask Ianto knew all too well how to wear. That was the thing Owen was most afraid of.

Passing the medic without even a second glance, Ianto walked up to Jack and squeezed his shoulders. 'Jack, I want you to listen to me.' Jack's head shot up at the voice, the tears still there as one fell over his flushed cheeks. Wiping it away with his thumb, Ianto continued. 'I'm going with Owen, so I want you to go with Tosh to the Hub, okay. I'll be back as soon as we have Janet's new play mate settled.' He gave Jack a small kiss to his forehead, whilst Tosh looked on with her own tears forming.

'Still here?' Jack managed to say through a hoarse voice. Ianto didn't know how many times it would take for Jack to be told that he was really back in his own world. But he knew he would do anything to get Jack back to the way he was. Back to the man he...the man he cared for.

'Still here,' Ianto reassured Jack as he gave his shoulder one final squeeze before turning back to Owen and removing the Weevil from the back of the SUV. Tosh stepped forward and took Jack's hand lightly in hers, turning him away from the scene and leading him into the Hub. She looked straight ahead of her at all times, but she could tell that Jack was silently crying.

****

Do something. Shout at me, hit me, shoot me, knock me out, cut me in two, just do something. He couldn't control himself. As he carried the Weevil down with Ianto, his thoughts were focused on one thing. This silent treatment was wrong on so many levels and Owen couldn't help but wonder how Ianto would react when it all became too much. He'd bottled up a lot of his feelings; his love and loss for Lisa, Jack's disappearance and Jack's return were just a handful of things Owen could mention. Even when he had taken Ianto out for a drink shortly after Jack had gone, that mask and persona were unshakable, even after the several pints and tequila shots that plagued the night. He hadn't cried, he hadn't shouted, he hadn't called Jack every possible name under the sun. Ianto had just sat, nursing his pint and eventually beat Owen at shots.

Passing Janet, Owen opened up the cell next to her and helped Ianto place the thankfully still sleeping Weevil onto the floor. Both men stepped out, Owen set the lock on the cage and then, without even a missed heartbeat, Ianto grabbed Owen by the throat and pushed him towards the adjacent wall.

'You better give me a really good reason not to keep on squeezing, Owen Harper.' Ianto's face was awash with anger; his face was red and his eyes were dark circle as they peered into the medic's watering eyes. Owen tried to kick out, push Ianto away so he could breathe, but the grip on his throat was so tight, it made his vision blurry. And just for a split second, Owen thought Ianto was really going to kill him.

'Ianto...let go,' Owen managed to choke out before the hand around his throat was quickly drawn away. Coughing to catch his breath, he could see the dark eyes were still on him as he tried to straighten himself. 'Look, I know I went too far back there, but I had no choice.'

Ianto gave a dry laugh as he turned away from Owen, pulling out a handkerchief from his inside pocket and wiping his hand. 'You had no choice?' The mask was back. That fleeting outburst was over and now Ianto straightened his jacket and turned to face Owen. 'He's not coping, Owen. So you think shouting at him will make him snap back to how he was before. Christ, you call yourself a doctor.'

'Yell at me for being an inconsiderate bugger, but don't go slagging off my job.' Owen stood in front of Ianto, preventing him from leaving the cells. Janet began to stir with the sudden rush of activity and gave out a low growl. 'It's obvious to anyone Jack isn't coping. That whole charade in the bar, the confident Captain Jack Harkness. No one goes to a place like that and walks away unharmed. Physically, maybe, but he's still an emotional wreck.'

'So why act like that around him?' Ianto really wanted an explanation. He wanted to know why Owen was so flippant with his remarks and why he had attacked Jack like that.

Owen gave a small sigh, relaxing from his stance. 'We can't all get as close to him as you can. And don't give me all that "well you said I was nothing more than a part time shag to Jack." Whatever it is between you two, your bond with Jack is stronger than any of our ties with him. You can go around with kid gloves if you want, but I need Jack back the way he was as soon as possible.' He sighed again, this time heavier as he put a hand up to the wall to steady himself. 'I've never seen Jack like that before. He's the dashing hero who flies in and saves the day. If I can prevent seeing him like that again by being the heartless one trying to snap him out of it as soon as possible, that's what I'll do. That's what I'll do to get Jack back. I'm just trusting on you to do the rest.' He looked up to Ianto and gave a sad smile.

Ianto stepped forward and was about to apologise for the whole fiasco, when an ear piercing scream echoed down into the cells from above them.

* * *

**Ha ha ha, return of the evil cliffhanger. So, who was it that screamed? Tosh? Jack? Myfanwy? Let's just say I've finally worked out what the artefact does and am now re-writting a few things. Until Wednesday, folks...**


	5. Chapter 5

**As promised, updatey goodness for you all :)**

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The cog door to the Hub slowly opened, allowing Tosh to lead Jack through and up to her workstation. She had decided to use the Tourist Information entrance, hoping that a walk by the Bay would help to clear Jack's head and bring him back to a level of normality. It had not been one of her better ideas; Jack had kept a tight hold onto her hand, flinching closer every time a loud noise or a drunken passerby had gotten too close to them. Now, in the safety of the Hub, Jack breathed a shaky sigh of relief as Tosh helped him ease out of his coat. He made his way over to the couch and slumped down, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Tosh didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Not scared of Jack yelling at her again or scared of seeing Jack an emotional wreck. She was scared that, maybe, she had lost the Jack that she knew; the Jack that had saved her from her own Hell. Five years had almost passed since she was incarcerated in the UNIT detention centre, but that didn't stop the nightmares returning every now and then. What scared her most was how much of her previous self she saw at the moment in the face of her leader.

When Jack had brought her here, there had only been herself, Jack and some bloke called Michael. He was a transfer from Torchwood Two, there to keep an eye on Jack and encourage him to rebuild Torchwood Three. She didn't remember a lot about him; Michael was only around for a month or so and he left right after Suzie joined up. The one thing she did remember about him was how he was always the first one in and the last one out. He was the person Jack would go to, almost like a small child looking for acceptance and praise. Nice enough bloke, but Tosh was far more pre-occupied with her current affairs than those of her work colleagues.

She was finding it hard to sleep, eat or even interact with the others at first. Any sudden movement would have her shaking in terror and flinching away, expecting some kind of violent act towards her. She would sit at her workstation, complete her work and then lock herself away in her new apartment, hiding under the covers and sobbing herself into an exhausted state. The first time she had been out in the field was when Jack had suspected things were not entirely right with his new technological professional. Tosh had frozen on the spot when a Weevil had darted out from a dark alley and charged straight for her. Jack had managed to wrestle it to the ground and sedated it. Whilst Michael had loaded the Weevil into the SUV, Jack had taken Tosh to the side.

'Couldn't help noticing that little freak-out there.' Jack Harkness beamed a pure white smile as he looked down at Toshiko's face. Giving a small laugh, he continued. 'Maybe we need a little more practice before we let you out again.'

'I-I'm sorry,' Tosh had stuttered, trying to compose herself, but the tears were already falling from her eyes. 'I-I didn't mean...I'm sorry. Please, I can do better. I can.' She was terrified. She thought she would be marched straight back to her cell, with Jack locking her away again, thinking he had made a big mistake.

The strong hands of the Captain stopped her ramble as she was pulled into a tight embrace. She buried her head in Jack's chest as he slowly began to rock her back and forth. 'It's okay, Tosh.' Jack smoothed down her hair. 'You're not going back there. I would never let that happen. You're safe, I promise.'

Suddenly, her memories were interrupted by the sudden sniffling sound that came from behind her. Almost automatically, after she had left Jack on the sofa, she had turned on her workstation and had been checking on any other alerts they may have missed. Snapping back to reality, she turned in her seat to face Jack, her own eyes beginning to fill with tears of sadness she shared with Jack.

'Tosh,' Jack croaked as he forced his head up to look at her. His eyes were red and his cheeks were smeared with tears. 'I...I'm sorry.'

'It's okay, Jack.' Tosh smiled at him, before getting up from her chair and sitting down next to him on the couch. 'There's nothing to be sorry about.'

'Yes, there is.' Jack turned to face her and Tosh couldn't help but flinch at the sudden change in Jack. 'Owen was right; I shouldn't take my frustrations out on you. I guess I'm not coping as well as I thought I was.'

'Jack,' Tosh began, her hand sliding over Jack's and giving it a comforting squeeze. 'Just because you're not from this time and you can't die, it doesn't mean that you're not human. You're still allowed to feel.'

'I'm just so tired.' Jack sniffed again, wiping the tears from his eyes. 'I'm just so tired of feeling like this. I'm the one in charge; I have to stay strong for all of you. But I'm so tired.'

Tosh squeezed his hand again as she got up and patting her seat, encouraging Jack to lie down. 'Just lie down for a bit. Ianto won't be long, I'm sure he'll take you back with him. I can't see him leaving you here all by yourself after...well, after everything today.'

Jack lay down on the couch and rested his head against the arm rest. He closed his eyes and gave a small sigh. Just before Tosh turned back to her workstation, she heard a muffled 'thank you, Tosh' escape from Jack's lips. Smiling to herself, she sat back down at the workstation and took her glasses from the paperwork next to it. She began to tap at the keyboard, unsure of how to phrase the thoughts she was having into coherent sentences.

'You know, Jack. I don't think any of us will understand or even comprehend just how much time you spent in Hell and what happened to you there. But, I've been where you've been. Not, obviously, exactly where you've been. But I've been in Hell too; locked away in a small cell with no outside connection or any human emotion toward me. I've been alone in the darkness and terrified. But then I had someone rescue me and I got better. The memories don't go away, but they do get better. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you ever need...'

Tosh turned herself around on her chair to face Jack, but her Captain was already fast asleep, silently snoring as he allowed himself a much needed rest. Tosh smiled sadly at the sight and, without thinking, took Jack's long RAF coat off its hook and draped it around his shoulders. She brushed a stray hair away from his face softly, fearful of waking him up.

'You saved me, Jack.' Tosh stood up straight and looked down at him. 'Now, I hope I can do the same for you.' With one final glance at Jack, she turned back to her workstation and removed the artefact they recovered earlier from Owen's rucksack. She placed it onto her workstation and headed down to Ianto's coffee machine to see if he had left her any of her favourite blend she could reheat.

She hadn't seen the cylinder begin to glow.

****

_Jack ran. That's all he could do. That's all he could do to escape the voices that were following him. Whispered torments and sadistic phrases followed him wherever he went. And he couldn't get out._

_The Hub had gotten smaller, he was certain of it. Passageways and tunnels he knew should be there were now bricked up. Even the cog door had been blocked up, preventing him from running away and up into the street._

_That's when he felt something behind him. Something was trying to break into his mind and take control. Something was filling him with fear because he knew, if he turned around and faced it, he wouldn't be able to get back._

_'Face me, Jack.' The voice was low and full of hate. Jack shook his head violently and covered his ears with his hands in a vain attempt to drown out the voice. 'Face me, Jack. It's the only way. Turn to me or you shall never be free.'_

_The sound of Jack's screams echoed through the Hub._

_****_

Tosh dropped her coffee cup and looked on in total fear as the sound of Jack's screams echoed through the Hub.

* * *

**Oh no, the end of another chapter already, I hear you say. Don't worry, more on Friday and as I have a free day off work, you may well get two chapters (but Im not promising. Only if you've all been good girls and boys.) Oh, and don't go forgetting Michael in a hurry...he shall be returning. Untill Friday...**


	6. Chapter 6

**It's Friday, the sun is shinning and I have a whole day off of work. How to celebrate that fact? I know, a new chapter for you all. **

* * *

'Jack!' Tosh screamed his name as she ran back to the couch. She slowed slightly as the nightmare stricken figure in front of her began to thrash and jerk violently. She tried to move forward, hoping that she could wake him from his slumber, but Jack began to grow more petrified, fighting with the coat Tosh had thrown over him, unable to free his hands to fight whatever it was he was seeing. 'Jack, please. Wake up, its okay.' She saw the tears begin to leak from the closed eyes of her Captain as the screams subsided and he began to whimper.

'Please...leave me alone.' Jack sobbed in his subconscious state, pleading with his nightmares. 'Get out, please.' The wound around his neck had begun to bleed again, the damaged and scarred flesh torn by Jack's sudden movements. A small trickle of blood began to drip down and join the stain already on his shirt from earlier.

Before Tosh could go any further, Ianto bounded up the small stairway and rushed over to Jack's sleeping form. Owen was not far behind him, spotting his rucksack under Tosh's desk and quickly pulled out a sedative he kept for emergencies. Tosh could do nothing, except to watch on as Ianto bridged the gap between himself and Jack, pulling down the coat and gripping him by the shoulders.

'Jack, come on,' Ianto calmly spoke as he moved a hand to smooth Jack's head. The whimpering was still continuing, growing more panicked as the seconds ticked away. 'Jack, I need you to wake up for me now.'

'Stop it...please.' His voice racked with pain, it broke Ianto's heart to see his partner in such a state, but he knew he had to keep it together. The mask was up and he couldn't let it slip again, not till Jack was at least awake and back with him. 'Get out of my head.'

Owen approached, the needle firmly held in one hand, as he bent down next to Ianto. His eyes immediately glanced towards the offending object and Ianto was quick to open his mouth in protest.

'Ianto,' Owen managed to say before Ianto had a chance. 'It's only a mild one. At least he won't be thrashing about and then we can get him somewhere safe and more comfortable.'

'You are not using that on him.' Ianto almost growled the words at Owen. He had noted how Jack had already reacted when Owen had tried earlier with a pain killer and, although he didn't understand Jack's reaction, he wasn't about to let Owen try and inject Jack, perhaps causing a much more severe panic attack.

Slowly, Jack began to settle. Ianto's soothing hands had eased him slightly and the whimpering had finally stopped. Ianto drew Jack closer to him, resting his head onto his shoulder. 'That's it,' Ianto encouraged as he saw Jack's eyes slowly begin to open. 'Come back to me, Jack.' With a sudden intake of breath, Jack's eyes finally fully opened. He panicked slightly, trying to take in his surroundings before realising where he was and, more importantly, who he was with. Looking up at Ianto, he snuggled his chin into the crook of Ianto's neck and breathed in his scent. He was back. He was really back.

Tosh breathed a sigh of relief whilst Owen backed away for the time being, keeping a watchful eye on Jack and his still apparent wound. Owen wasn't sure if it was trauma that kept Jack from healing as fast as he usually did or whether there was something else to it. Either way, Owen was keen to get to the bottom of it before he went home. _So much for my fridge full of beer_, he thought.

Jack's breathing became slower, as Ianto rubbed comforting circles on his back and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. Jack looked up at the remainder of his team, giving them both a weak smile before his eyes focused and settled on the object lying on Toshiko's desk. A look of panic began to settle again on Jack's face as he tried to draw himself away from Ianto's hold. 'Where did you get that?'

Tosh looked bewildered for a moment then, following Jack's gaze, she picked up the object from her desk. 'Oh, this? It came through the Rift. Owen and I found it whilst you...whilst you and Ianto were on the other side of the building.'

'You think you can't trust me?' Jack's angered voice was back, almost exactly the same as when he had shouted at her earlier. 'You don't think I can get through this myself that you bring _that_ in here.' Jack pulled further away from Ianto as he got up from the couch, his coat falling to the floor by his feet. The rest of the team looked concerned at him, wondering why he had had such a reaction to the artefact that, at the moment, was relatively harmless.

'Jack, I assure you I don't know what it is.' Tosh found herself almost pleading with her leader, fearful of a reprisal of earlier. Owen took a protective step forward towards Tosh, preparing himself just in case. 'This was the object that knocked out our comms earlier. I was just about to work on it before...'

'No,' stated Jack firmly, still keeping his distance from the object. 'No analysing it. Just put it in the Archives and let's just all forget about it.' Jack nervously started stepping from one foot to the other, before finally settling on trying to move to his office. He was stopped by the presence of Ianto's hand on his arm, preventing him from moving.

'Jack, please.' Ianto looked him straight in the eye as he run his thumb across Jack's arm. 'If you know what it is, just tell us. Tosh can pop it into the Archives and then, if we know what it is, I can at least give it its own little sticker and put it in the right place.' He wasn't sure if it was the small smile he gave or Jack's overall tiredness to keep the conversation going, but Jack managed a long sigh before he began to explain.

'It's something from the 32nd century.' Jack took a long intake of breath before continuing, his eyes now trained to the ground so he couldn't look anyone in the eye. 'It's used mainly in a medical capacity, psychiatry really. It was used in the military at first; it was thought that army personnel of all rank should...'

'Yeah, sorry to rush you Jack, but some of us are getting old.' Tosh and Ianto both glared at the medic for the remark he had just made. Bowing his head in apology, he allowed Jack to continue, although his voice began to drop during his explanation, almost to a quiet and ashamed tone.

'It's called a Fear Facilitator. When used, it provokes the patients' strongest fears and emotions and makes them face their fears head on. It slips them into a dream like state and plays out scenarios in their head in order for them to overcome any fears they have and become _cured,_ for want of a better word.'

'Wait, hang on,' Owen stopped the proceedings, trying to get his head around the information he had just been given. 'So you're saying that this thing can cure fears and you want to lock it away? Surely this is a gift, as opposed to the other things the Rift spits out. This could help you get over everything.'

Jack let out a heavy sigh. 'It's not that easy, Owen. Once you're in that dream like state, you can't wake up until you face _all_ of those fears. People were left trapped in these states of vegetation for years, decades even. The creators of the device made it telepathic as well, so it could reach out and affect those who wouldn't come forward, so that they eventually signed up to use it. This thing is Hell; only the strong can face their fears and pull themselves clear of it completely.'

'So what's preventing the rest of us from falling victim to its telepathic perception?' Tosh couldn't help but ask as she slowly stepped away from the device, still transfixed that such a small object could cause so many problems.

'I think it might be focusing on me in particular,' Jack surmised as he picked his coat off of the floor. 'After everything today, I must be like a homing beacon for it.' He sighed softly as he looked towards Ianto, the young man never once taking his eyes off him. He began to slip on his coat, wincing slightly. 'Let's just go home for the night. Lock it away in the morning, please.' He took Ianto's arm and began to guide him towards the door when Owen interrupted them.

'Jack, I know you want to get outta here, but I really should have a look at that wound.'

Jack tensed, gripping Ianto's shoulder tighter as he looked towards the young man. 'Ianto, please...'

'Look, Owen.' Ianto started as he took Jack's hand in his. 'Let me take Jack home and get him to rest. It's already better than it was, he just needs rest and he'll be okay.' Ianto looked into Owen's eyes and, with a nod of understanding what he really meant, backed down and let them pass. He watched along with Tosh as the two men made their way home, both certain that this was most certainly just the beginning.

* * *

**Im off for a Chinese tonight with a few friends so the next chapter may be up when I get back. Next chapter will be the fluff before the angst as Ianto takes Jack home.**


	7. Chapter 7

Ianto twisted his key in the front door, his other hand still holding tightly onto Jack's hand. It had been like this nearly all the way back from the Hub; Jack had clung to Ianto's hand throughout most of the journey back and when he had had to put both hands on the wheel, Jack gave a sigh and placed his hand on Ianto's thigh. It had stayed there, never going higher or eager to link hands again. When they had pulled up, Ianto opened the door and was almost knocked to the ground with the sudden force the Captain charged into him. Now, as he opened the front door, he took Jack to the hallway and carefully removed his coat, eager to prevent touching his wound. Shoes and coats hung in the closet, they walked in silence to the living room. Ianto flicked the light switch and the room was suddenly illuminated, contrasting starkly with the dark night sky that was visible from the window.

'Why don't you get changed,' Ianto suggested as he let go of Jack's hand and walked to the kitchen. He opened up a cupboard above him and was not at all surprised that there wasn't even a tin of sardines in the house. Without looking at Jack, he set the coffee machine working and opened the fridge. 'Go and get out of those clothes and clean up, whilst I call up the takeaway? Chinese still, if you want. Did you want...?' The question died on his lips as he looked up towards Jack; he was still stood in the doorway where Ianto had left him. He looked neither happy nor sad. Jack just stood and looked directly in front of him, rubbing his hands together. Ianto wasn't sure he had even heard a word he had said and quickly made his way over to Jack. Brining his hand to his lovers face, he stroked his cheek and encouraged those brilliant blue eyes to lock onto his own.

'Jack?' Nothing, it was as if Jack was in some sort of daze, unable to grasp anything around him. Ianto tried again and, on the third attempt, Jack finally tore his sight from the space he had been staring at and looked directly at Ianto. He could see those strong eyes looking into his own with concern and worry, but he could also see compassion and love. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against Ianto's and pulled him into an embrace, sniffling back the unshed tears as he took sanctuary in the arms of the man he loved.

They stood like that for a while, neither wanting to break away and neither wanting to press for anything else. For just a small period of time, there was only the two of them as each became lost in the safety and comfort of one another.

After a while, Ianto withdrew from the embrace and straightened his suit jacket. 'Go upstairs and get changed. I'll be up in a minute and we'll take care of that,' he indicated Jack's wound and was met with a small pout and whine from Jack. 'We'll get it cleaned up and just let that rather fast healing power of yours do the rest.' He gave a chaste kiss to Jack's lips before he turned away to pick up the telephone.

'You're not coming with me?' Jack's voice was just above a whisper as he gave a look of panic towards Ianto.

'I'm just going to order in and I'll be up in a minute.' Ianto began to dial and stared to become annoyed at Jack's resistance to do as he was told. Taking a deep breath, he spoke calmly. 'Please, Jack. I'm not going to disappear. I'll be down here, ordering food. You can't get rid of me that easily, especially as this is my place.' Jack turned slowly away and made his way to the stairs, occasionally looking towards Ianto. He gave a sad smile and walked slowly up the stairs.

Ianto watched as Jack continued up the stairs and then disappeared as he turned into their bedroom. He raised the phone again but couldn't bring his fingers to dial. His free hand folded into a fist as he began to shake. He bit down on his knuckle to stop the sudden sob that had been building up from escaping. He scrunched his eyes tightly and let the silent sob out. He couldn't stand it anymore. Jack was back with him, yet he was still so far away. He had enjoyed being the dominant and protective figure for a while; he hadn't been in this situation since Jack came back and told him everything. But this wasn't how it was. Ianto had seen Jack upset, had calmed him when he had had nightmares so horrific he had screamed for most of the night. But this was something entirely different; Jack followed him around like a lost child, unable to look after himself. He was a shell, damaged from Hell and in so much need of contact and reassurances from the people he loved and had been void of in that place. Ianto was angry, frustrated, pissed off, upset, happy, relieved, almost every emotion he could think of and they were all harrowing at him in one great assault. If he couldn't cope, how was he going to get Jack back to the way he was? Letting out a shaky breath, he dialled the Chinese takeaway, placed his order quickly and placed the phone back on the table. He would be there for Jack, he had to be. And when Jack was finally back, he could be the one to need comfort and support. He wouldn't breakdown now, he couldn't. So, putting on the act he was so used to, he turned and bounded up the stairs after Jack.

Ianto found Jack sat on his bed, wearing only a pair of tracksuit bottoms. The moonlight from the window illuminated his pale figure and his forlorn face. Ianto stood in the doorway for a brief period, just staring at the remains of his partner, before moving into the room and crouching in front of him. He rested his hands on Jack's knees and looked up to meet the same spaced and absent look in Jack's eyes. _Where are you, Jack? _Ianto thought as he gave a small smile.

'Be about 20 minutes.' Ianto noticed Jack bringing up his hand as he began to smooth the area around his neck. Ianto took his hand away and brought it to his lips, placing a small kiss onto the cold flesh. 'I'll just go and get some water and the first aid box from the bathroom, and then we'll get you cleaned up before we eat.'

'Under the covers?' Jack's sudden question took Ianto by surprise, still expecting the silence to be the only answer he would be getting from Jack. He was remembering their conversation from earlier, but no longer laced with the innuendo of before. 'Just this once.'

'Yes, Jack,' Ianto said as he got up from his squatting position and placed a kiss to Jack's head. 'Just this once. You're too much of a mucky eater for you to be eating in my bed all the time.' He was relieved to receive a whispered laugh coming from the Captain's lips as he turned to the bathroom and got his supplies.

Returning with a bowl of water, a towel and the first aid kit he kept for emergencies, he sat down next to Jack and tipped the towel into the water. He brought the towel up to Jack's neck and began delicately to remove the blood stains splattered on Jack's body. The occasional wince escaped from Jack every now and then, but as Ianto placed the cool press and bandage to the worst of the wound, he stilled and stared at Ianto with glistening eyes.

'There we are,' Ianto said as he finished smoothing down the temporary bandage. 'One Captain patched up and ready.' He grinned as he packed up the first aid kit and put it on the floor. When he was sat back up, Jack leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss, slowly at first until Jack pressed further, encouraging Ianto by flicking his tongue at the top of Ianto's mouth. Both let out a contented moan as Ianto grabbed onto Jack's shoulder, steadying him as they broke for air.

'Not that I'm not grateful,' Ianto smiled. 'But what was that for exactly?'

'For being here.' Jack's voice was barely a whisper as he was desperate to return to their embrace. 'I don't deserve you.'

Nothing about that sentence to Ianto was in any way romantic or sentimental. Instead, a slow burning anger began to build in his heart and he grabbed hold of Jack's face with both hands. 'Listen to me, Jack Harkness.' He looked deep into his eyes. 'Don't you ever say you are not deserving of me or anyone else. You've lived for so long and you're no doubt going to be living for a long, long time after Cardiff and all of us here are no longer about. You save the lives of so many people and put yourself through the reins for it, so you deserve whatever it is that makes you happy, makes you feel safe, makes you feel loved.'

Jack's eyes began to fill with tears again. He had told himself that he had had enough of crying for today, he was so tired of crying, but that was all he could do. He leant his face into Ianto's hands and allowed himself to be drawn back into a deepening kiss. He sobbed slightly into the kiss, knowing that he should believe Ianto, but after all he had done in his life, he still did not feel worthy.

The doorbell rang and Ianto moved away from the room, leaving Jack for just a while to pick out a film for them to watch. A few minutes later, Ianto returned with the food and Jack found _Brief Encounter _on DVD that had been stashed away in Ianto's collection for quite a while. Stripping out of his suit, he pulled the covers back and let Jack bundle into the bed. Chinese in one hand and the other snaked around Jack's waist, pulling him tightly into an embrace, they sat in silence as they began to watch the film.

****

As the final minutes of the film began to play, Ianto found himself playing with Jack's hair. Jack had already fallen asleep halfway through the film and his head now rested on Ianto's chest, his slow breathing indicating he was far gone in sleep. Ianto envied him a little; he was still wide awake, fighting his own thoughts that kept him awake. What if Jack never returned back to the way he was? What if this was how things were going to be from now on? He hated himself for thinking it and he hated himself more when the image of the Fear Facilitator kept tormenting him. Jack snuggled closer to Ianto, giving a contented sigh in his sleep. Ianto closed his eyes, tried to ignore the images in his head and listened to the film.

_'You've been a long way away...Thank you for coming back to me.'_

And Ianto held onto Jack just that little bit tighter.

* * *

**I'm a sucker for Brief Encounter, it's one of my most favourite films and I like getting references from it into things I write. I know this was kind of only fluffy in bits, but I like my fluff laced with a bit of angst. Speaking of angst, prepare thyselves now for the next chapter is not going to be pretty. But, it's Jack's dream so anything could happen. Until Monday...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: Slight crossover with Doctor Who (but very slight). **

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Jack woke with a start, taking in a long and unsteady breath as he realised he was alone in Ianto's bed. He reached out and stroked the still warm side of Ianto's bed. _Still warm,_ Jack thought. _He can't have been gone long. _He sat up in the bed and took in the surroundings; it was day and the sunlight was streaming through the open windows. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled the covers from his body, got up and headed for the full length mirror by the wardrobe. Looking back at himself, he reached up and pulled away the bandage on his neck. His wound, now completely healed, had left only a small scar on his neck and he knew it would fade in the next couple of hours. Turning around, he found a discarded shirt of his on the floor and opened the bedroom door.

It was quiet, too quiet. He held the shirt in his hand, wringing at it with his hands as he nervously checked the bathroom to see if Ianto was taking a shower or just getting ready for the day. Nothing, no one was there. Jack could feel panic beginning to build up in his gut at the thought of being alone, again. He told himself not to cry out, not to panic; Ianto had to be around somewhere, he wouldn't just leave Jack without saying goodbye. _Or would he?_

'Ianto?' Jack managed to croak as he made his way slowly down the stairs, holding tightly to the banister. He made his way through the living room and found the place deserted, no signs of life coming from anywhere. He called out again, his voice shaking slightly. Suddenly, the sound of the coffee machine grinding the beans and soft footsteps from the kitchen gave Ianto away as he came out into the living room, dressed in a clean suit and with his head bowed as he read the morning newspaper. Jack's eyes lit up as he ran over to Ianto, a large grin hiding the anxieties that had driven him since he woke up.

'Hey,' Jack said as he tugged the newspaper in Ianto's hands. The young man looked up at him, a small smile beginning to form.

'Finally up then, I see.' Ianto looked Jack over from head to foot, paying extra notice to the absent wound on his neck. 'Looks like you're back to your normal self.'

'Yep. A little rest, some Chinese and a good nurse were all I needed.' He stepped closer to Ianto, the paper now discarded on the nearby table. Just looking at the young man in front of him was enough for his body to react. Those eyes, those lips were dragging him over the edge as he leaned in to capture them in a kiss. But Jack was met with air as Ianto moved away from him and into the kitchen. Feeling slightly rejected, Jack followed him into the kitchen and found him pouring two cups of coffee, his back turned towards him.

'Well,' Ianto began as he finished filling up the cups. 'Coffee, dress and let's get going. What with Gwen gone, I don't think Tosh and Owen are going to be too pleased trying to man the Rift all by themselves.' He finally turned and handed Jack his coffee. He walked past Jack and retrieved his newspaper from the table, sitting down on the sofa with his coffee. Jack stood still for a few seconds, wondering if he had done something wrong last night or whether he had upset Ianto in some way. He quickly turned and made his way into the living room, standing behind the sofa and looking at the back of Ianto's head.

'You know, I am the boss,' Jack said, trying to entice some kind of emotional response from his partner. 'What if I gave us all the day off? We could just stay here and go back to bed.' Jack flashed one of his signature smiles as Ianto got up from the sofa and faced Jack.

'Jack's it 8am,' Ianto said with a huff. 'We're already late and I don't fancy Owen getting his hands on me and dragging me down to that ancient relic you lot call a coffee machine.' Something was definitely not right and the butterflies in Jack's gut were getting bigger. His mind went blank as he frantically tried to recall every single word and action from the previous night. As Ianto began to walk around him, he finally cornered Ianto and made him stand still, facing him.

'Are you mad at me or something?' Jack took hold of Ianto's arm and rubbed circles into it with his thumb. Giving a sad smile, he continued. 'I didn't get mango chutney sauce on your sheets again, did I?' He tried to smile but the look in Ianto's eyes made him think otherwise. Ianto pulled his arm from Jack's grasp and started to walk to the kitchen.

'Jack, just get dressed and we'll talk later, okay.' And with that, Ianto turned into the kitchen, away from Jack's view. The untouched coffee in his hand was put to one side as Jack hurried up the stairs, still clinging onto the shirt.

****

The journey to the Hub had been hard; Ianto had kept his eyes on the road, never turning or attempting to talk to Jack. The Captain had tried to speak a few times, but quickly changed his mind as he knew he had nothing to say. He wanted nothing better than to grab hold of the wheel, stop the car and take Ianto into his arms. What had he done? He knew that his behaviour wasn't exactly normal for him, but he was scared. He had needed to be looked after for the first time in a long time and Ianto had always been the one Jack wanted to be looked after by.

Suddenly, Ianto's car came to a screeching stop in the garage and the young Welshman was out of the car, already striding quickly to the Hub. He was already half way there before Jack comprehended what was going on; struggling with his seatbelt, he finally freed himself and got out of the car. He tried calling to Ianto to wait up, but he had already disappeared. Breaking into a run, Jack made his way across the garage, past the SUV and made his way through the door and into the Hub.

It was dark, dark and quiet. The Hub was illuminated by the red emergency power lights as Jack stood alone. He tried to use his manipulator to work the lights, but the Hub remained in darkness. Making his way to his office, he began to call out. 'Ianto? Tosh? Owen?'

'Jack?' A small feminine voice came from behind him and Jack turned, but couldn't make out who it was. 'Jack, are you okay?' Gwen. It was Gwen; he knew that voice even in the darkness. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he could see her standing by her workstation. Although her face was still obscured, he knew that pose anywhere.

'Gwen?' Jack took a step forward, his hand hovering over his revolver. 'You're back? I thought I gave you the weekend off.'

'You did,' Gwen said blankly, no emotion in her voice at all. 'But now I'm back. Couldn't stand Paris. Too many tourists, it took something away from the whole experience.'

'I think something's wrong,' Jack spoke quietly as he slowly shifted towards her. 'I can't find Owen and Tosh and Ianto was acting strange this morning.'

'It's okay, Jack.' She held out her arms and encouraged him to join her in an embrace. 'We're all here. It's all going to be okay. We'll never leave you.'

Jack couldn't resist as he flung himself into Gwen's embrace, holding her tightly to him. 'I don't know what's going on.' He began to sniff as he felt tears begin to form in his eyes. That's when he realised his hands were wet. No, not just wet, they were wet and sticky. Pulling himself out of the hug, he looked down at his hands. Blood. Gwen's blood. And as he looked up to her, Jack could suddenly see Gwen's face.

'Even when you kill us, Jack, we'll always be here.' The words escaped her blue lips as her cold dead eyes burrowed into his. The bullet wound in her chest was still bleeding as she began to shuffle forwards. Jack turned to run away, but the figures of Owen and Tosh blocked his way. Covered in cuts, bruises and shuffling forward with broken limbs, they kept the frightened Captain at bay. He remembered, in Hell they had died. Not by his hands, like Gwen, but in a car accident. The tears began to pour down his face.

'Always thinking you're alone,' Owen spoke, his head to one side as his ankle dragged behind him. 'But you're never alone, Jack. You have us to haunt you for the rest of your eternal life.'

Jack looked to Toshiko; her dead eyes looking up at him whilst she held her limp arm in her other hand. 'We never leave you, Jack. You link us together; we all use you and then you kill us.'

'No,' Jack shouted, shaking his head violently. Desperately, he tried to call out for Ianto, but nothing else could escape his lips. His throat was dry from sobbing as the tears continued to flow. Suddenly, he heard the sound of laughter from above him and as he looked up to the plant room, he knew he was back in Hell.

'Hear that, freak.' The Master's voice filled the Hub as he held Ianto Jones in his arms. His partner nuzzled into the Master's neck as his hands explored the Time Lord's body. Breaking his stare from the broken Captain, he devoured Ianto's mouth in a blistering kiss. Jack couldn't break his gaze as his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Finally breaking away, the Master returned to look at Jack. 'Used and abused. Sound familiar?' Suddenly, they all began to sing

_Ring a Ring a Roses,_

_A pocket full of poses._

Jack covered his ears as he continued to sob, his mind tormented beyond all comprehension as he fell to the floor and began to rock himself. Looking down, the Fear Facilitator began to glow and the voice from within began to fill the room.

'Face me, Jack.' The anger and hatred still trapped inside, waiting to be free. 'Face me, Jack or else you'll stay here, trapped away forever.'

Jack Harkness roared in pain as his screams drowned out the Facilitator and the singing.

****

Ianto woke violently to the sounds of Jack's screams. The Captain thrashed in his sleep and Ianto narrowly avoided getting hit in the eye. He straddled Jack and pinned his arms above his head. 'Jack, JACK!! WAKE UP!! It's okay, you're safe and I'm here.'

Jack's eyes snapped open and he looked around him in panic. His frightened breathing began to slow as he realised where he was. He looked up into the face of his lover and broke down in tears. Sitting back down in the bed, Ianto pulled Jack to him and cuddled him up to his chest. Jack clung to him for dear life and wouldn't let go. All Ianto could do was hold him and let him cry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Where do I begin? I am so sorry for the late update. I have had the most horrible week and a bit ever. Illness struck me down in about three different ways, so I wasn't really the most happiest bunny. Add to this the normal flow of work and friends and I just havent had the time to do as much as I wanted to do. But don't fear, Im well and fighting fit again so more updates to follow, with Friday a definite date. So please, excuse my recent state and, as they say, lets get back to business...**

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The morning light from the outside world streaked through the windows, falling onto Jack's face and stirring him from his slumber. Screwing his eyes tightly at the invasion of light, he let out a loud yawn and turned away from the window. Lazily stretching his arm to find the comfort of Ianto, he was met with air and Jack was finally wide awake. His eyes snapped open and he found himself alone in the bedroom. The images of his nightmare flooding his mind, he sat up in the bed in panic. _Oh, God. Please, not again._

Then Jack was aware of the sound coming from behind the door. Soft at first, then growing as it got closer; the distinct sound of a tuneless hum filled his ears. He was up and to the door before he was aware of what he was doing. Opening the door, he looked into the slightly startled eyes of Ianto as he jumped at the sudden appearance of his partner. He flinched slightly as a few drops of hot coffee fell onto his hands from the cups he was holding. Composing himself, he looked back at Jack with a smile.

'Well, that's one way to be greeted in the morning.' Still standing in the doorway, Jack looked his partner up and down; Ianto was still in his boxers, with ruffled hair and five o'clock shadow. No clean suit, no newspaper, this was the Ianto Jack wanted and needed to see to be reassured again. Letting out a shaky breath, Jack stepped away from the doorway and allowed Ianto to walk into the bedroom.

'Sorry,' Jack said as he watched Ianto putting the coffees down on the bedside table. 'Guess I'm still a little jumpy. Still not altogether there.' Letting out a small laugh, he ran his hand through his hair as he continued to watch Ianto. He wanted so much to wrap his arms around his partner and hold him tightly, so he could feel anchored to the world. However, the images of his dreams were keeping him back slightly, afraid more so of rejection than anything else. He was relieved when finally Ianto turned and walked up to him, catching his lips in a moment of pure bliss. Jack snaked his arms around Ianto's waist as he deepened the kiss, sighing contently and safe in the affirmed knowledge that he was truly back, he was home.

Finally breaking away for air, the two men rested their foreheads against one another, still tightly pressed against each other. 'Well, I think it's fair to say you are making progress,' Ianto laughed slightly as he placed a quick kiss to Jack's lips. 'Did you want to shower first or shall I?'

'We can't shower together?' The wicked and mischievous glint in Jack's eyes had returned as he began to play with the hairs on Ianto's chest.

'Oh, I don't think so,' Ianto managed to say after a while. He couldn't help but stiffen when he saw the hurt look starting to spread over Jack's face. 'What I mean is, I don't think much showering would occur. Then we'll be late and I don't fancy coming face to face with an un-caffeinated Owen first thing in the morning.'

'It might make me feel better,' Jack grinned as his hand trailed down Ianto's chest.

Ianto gave a quiet sigh and looked Jack square in the eye. 'Well, if you put it that way.' Both men let out a small laugh as Jack grabbed hold of Ianto's hand and dragged him towards the bathroom. The two cups of coffee lay cold and forgotten on the bedside table.

****

Two and a half hours later and Jack was still no way near being ready for the morning. Ianto, already neatly dressed in the suit Jack had picked for him, now sat at the kitchen table tapping his fingers on the surface whilst scanning the paper. He had tried persuading, tricking, even bribing Jack into getting ready after their 'shower' together, but he found the only way to get his Captain ready was for him to be nowhere in the vicinity. Happily replaying the morning so far in his mind, he was annoyed when his mobile snapped him away from his daydreaming. _God, Owen can't even survive ten minutes. _Pulling his phone from his pocket, he was startled by the name that was displayed on the screen. _Message: Lyn. _Glancing up the stairs to see if Jack was still getting ready, he opened the text.

_Missed you. Why didn't you call last night? xxx_

Cursing himself, he checked the stairs for any movement before sending off a text. Everything that was going on with Jack last night and he had completely forgotten about Lyn. He was just not expecting the events of last night and was now not looking forward to her reaction. That woman could hold a grudge for days and Ianto couldn't let that happen, not this time.

_Sorry, family emergency. Catch you for lunch? x_

No sooner had he sent it then the reply came shooting back, making him smile.

_'Kay :)__ x_

'Ianto,' Jack called, making the younger man jump and scramble with his phone, quickly placing it back into his pocket before Jack came bounding down the stairs. 'Who was that?'

'Who was what?' Ianto answered back quickly. Looking innocently into Jack's eyes, he let a nervous smile flutter across his face.

'I thought I heard your phone.' Jack walked through the living room and up to Ianto, who had now risen from the table.

'Oh, it was just Owen.' He hated to lie but he had no choice. This would definitely be the wrong time and place to have that conversation. 'He was just wondering if we were ever actually going to turn up today.'

'Not our fault if we were getting distracted.' Jack grinned and headed for the hallway to retrieve his boots and coat. Ianto followed close behind as he helped Jack on with his coat.

'Yes, but for the love of God don't tell him why though,' Ianto said as deadpan as ever. 'I think he's still traumatized from that time he walked into your office without knocking. Maybe we should put up little signs next time to stop anyone else from doing the same thing.'

Both men laughed as they made their way out of the house and into Ianto's car. As they sped past the homes and businesses of Cardiff, Jack placed his hand on Ianto's thigh, rubbing slow circles and occasionally causing Ianto's attention to waver. He shuddered slightly when he realised his mind wasn't focused on Jack's hand, but more that he hoped Lyn wouldn't decided to call or text him about lunch at this moment.

That was when his phone began to vibrate.

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**Evil cliffhanger, I must be feeling better. Who is Lyn? Could she spell trouble for Jack and Ianto? Reviews very much loved and appreciated**


	10. Chapter 10

'God, is Owen really that impatient?' Jack tutted to himself as he felt the vibrations of Ianto's phone. He was about to reach into Ianto's pocket to pull out the offending object when his hand was slapped away. Giving out a surprised yelp, Jack looked straight into the eyes of his partner, silently questioning the motive behind the rejection of Jack's hand searching around in Ianto's trouser pocket. Before he had a chance to open his mouth, Ianto spoke quickly and bluntly.

'Just leave it, Jack.' He was trying to keep the fear and worry out of his voice, whilst returning his eyes to the road so he wouldn't have to face Jack. He thanked God that, whoever it was, it was just a text message. He was cursing himself, he couldn't let Jack find out, not at a time like this; he knew Jack wouldn't be able to cope and that he would go off on completely the wrong tangent. Letting out a sigh and silently composing himself, he quickly flashed a grin in Jack's direction. 'We're only around the corner. Owen will just have to wait.'

'Well,' Jack said quietly, with an almost kicked puppy look growing on his face. 'There was no reason to slap my hand like that. You've never complained before when I've been searching through your trouser pockets.' His smile returned as he placed his hand back onto Ianto's thigh, stroking the material and edging his hand further until it rested on the pocket. Slipping his fingers into the pocket, Ianto stiffened and gripped the steering wheel tighter. 'In fact, I remember when you encouraged it.' His fingers were now delving further and when he moved the phone to get closer to Ianto's leg, the panic broke out.

'Jack, STOP IT!' Grabbing hold of Jack's arm, he yanked the hand from his trouser pocket, narrowly avoiding knocking the phone out of his pocket as well. He held Jack's arm in a death grip, his nails digging into the flesh underneath the hold. Foolishly, he had applied the brakes as well and both men were propelled forward at the sudden stop. Ianto silently thanked that he was on the quiet road which led to the garage and that an accident hadn't occurred. Letting out a shaky breath he stilled in disbelief at what he had done; he was still gripping tightly to Jack's arm and the panic in Jack's eyes made Ianto's stomach flip. He quickly let go of the arm and watched as Jack took hold of the injured section and began rubbing at it, his eyes wide and full of confusion as he kept his eyes away from Ianto.

'I...I'm sorry,' Jack uttered in a strained voice. Ianto could see the tears beginning to form in Jack's eyes and he hated himself for it. Ianto, keeping his breathing calm and steady, started the car again and pulled it into the garage before returning his gaze to Jack. Still holding his arm to his chest, his breathing was beginning to even out and the unshed tears had now dissipated. Ianto reached out and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, feeling bile rise in his throat when he felt Jack flinch slightly.

'Jack,' Ianto managed after a while. 'Jack, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Please, just look at me.' Jack lifted his head slightly and looked deep into Ianto's eyes, searching for some kind of explanation. 'Believe me, I don't know why I did that. I'm just a bit cranky this morning.' Hoping to get a smile from his Captain, he was saddened when Jack just looked away from him, looking the picture of sadness.

'Because of me, isn't it?' Jack spoke quietly, not even wanting to admit it to himself but something was telling him this was all his fault. If he hadn't had been so rash, he wouldn't have gotten stuck in Hell and he wouldn't have kept Ianto up most of the night with his nightmares. He quickly undid his seatbelt and slid out of the car, leaving Ianto to let out a deep sigh in the car. He didn't think he could take any more of this; Jack was someone almost entirely different now and Ianto was fed up with it all. Why couldn't he just have a normal life and a normal relationship like everyone else on this stupid planet? He knew he was being selfish and he knew he should be paying more attention to everything when he was around Jack, but he wanted things back the way they were. When was the universe going to cut him some slack? Maybe dealing with this whole situation the way Owen did, unfeeling and unemotionally, would be the easiest thing for him. But at the same time, he couldn't deny Jack the comfort he knew he was looking for. Taking another deep sigh, he removed himself from the car and walked around to Jack's side, still thankful his Captain was still standing there.

'Jack, please listen to me.' He took hold of Jack's hands and looked him straight in the eye. 'We will get through this together and no matter what happens, even if I lose it and snap at you again, don't think for one second I don't still care about you.' He brushed a kiss to his head and led Jack towards the Hub. Jack held onto Ianto's hand tightly and squeezed it as a sign of quiet appreciation.

'I'll get better,' Jack mumbled to Ianto. 'I'll get better for you.'

'Just get better for yourself, Jack.' Ianto smiled at him and squeezed his hand when he saw Jack begin to pout. 'How about you do it for us? Fair compromise?'

Jack smiled warmly and nodded his head. Content with their current state, he allowed himself to be pulled into the Hub by his angel.

***

'Bout bloody time,' Owen muttered as he saw the two of them walking into the Hub from the garage doors. Tosh looked up from her computer screen and smiled as the two of them joined herself and Owen. Ianto gave Owen a silent nod of recognition, before helping Jack remove his coat.

'How are you?' Tosh asked as she placed a hand on Jack's arm. Looking down at her, Jack took her hand in his and flashed one of his signature grins at her.

'Getting there,' Jack admitted as the grin began to drop. 'Still a bit to go, but Ianto's been looking after me.' Turning around to Ianto, he laughed as Ianto rolled his eyes and Owen cleared his throat.

'Yeah, thanks Jack. I think we can go without the details.' Owen gave a brief nod to Ianto before heading back down to the medical bay to finish his work. Tosh returned to her computer as Ianto led Jack into his office, watching intently as Jack sat down and huffed at the amount of paperwork that lay on his desk.

'Looks like I should have just stayed in bed,' he muttered before looking back up to Ianto and asking if he could start up the morning coffee round. Ianto was about to step out of the office when he heard Jack clear his throat.

'How about we go out for lunch somewhere later.' They were back, the snakes in the stomach that he thought he had got ridden of earlier and now they were doing back flips to the sound of Jack's request.

'Maybe,' Ianto said, unable to look Jack in the eye. He shuffled his feet slightly as he willed his brain to concoct something, anything to get him out of the predicament. 'Rhiannon said she might call later to see if I fancied meeting for one of our "once in a blue moon" chats/lunches.' It was a horrible lie, but one he knew would work on Jack; he knew that Ianto very rarely saw his sister and that any time between them would usually be brief and uneventful. Ianto hadn't even told her about him and Ianto being together, so at least it gave Jack hope they could maybe catch a late lunch.

'Oh, okay,' Jack finally said as he tried to crack on with the paperwork. 'How about dinner tonight, somewhere nice?'

'Sure, sounds good.' Ianto finally met Jack's gaze, just for a second and then turned to walk out of the office, not before letting out one of his signature quips. 'Your turn to pay isn't it? How could I refuse?' He smiled to himself as he heard Jack's sudden cry of protest before closing the door. Moving down to the coffee machine, he started up the machine, then quickly turned to check the area before extracting his phone from his pocket.

_Message: Lyn-Meet you by the Bay at 12pm and make sure you are there this time *angry face* xxx _

Filling the cups full of coffee, he placed them onto the tray and, checking to make sure everything was right, headed up to the others. What he failed to notice was that his phone still lay on the worktop, where he had put it down when he made the coffee. Neither did he check if the message Lyn had sent to him was no longer displayed on his screen.


	11. Chapter 11

**I know it's been a while and I'm sorry. Have been getting ready for my holiday so things have been a bit up in the air. Going to try and get another chapter up before I fly out as there will be no internet. So at least another update before Sunday. And thank you once again for all your nice reviews.**

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It was fair to say that Captain Jack Harkness, for a long time in quite a while, was happy. Sat at his desk, whistling a tuneless melody as he went through his paperwork, he found his mind giddy with the expectancy of what the night would hold for him and Ianto. He had already tried to refrain himself from doodling on the requisition forms meant for UNIT, although he couldn't help but let out a small laugh at how the stuffy office types in London would be squirming in their seats if they were to see the teenage scrawling of the fearless leader of Torchwood 3. Instead, he had let his mind wonder as he began to plot the perfect night; he had already known he would take Ianto to that new French restaurant up town, the one Jack knew Ianto had been bringing up subtly in conversation. He had called and made reservations already, Rift or alien invasion be damned. More than he wanted to admit, he wanted this night to be more than just special; Ianto had saved him from the shadows of Hell and had nursed him back to a somewhat normal state of being, normal for him he would say. He wanted to let Ianto know how much he appreciated it, how much he meant to him, how much he...how much he needed him.

Squirming in his seat, he cursed his body's reaction at even the thought of Ianto, although he couldn't bring himself to argue when it made him feel so right. His mind was dragged back to their early morning shower session and he could feel the material of his trousers growing tighter. If this was the way he was reacting now, he dreaded to think if he could last until tonight. He played over the thought of slipping down into the archives and taking Ianto there and then, giving him no choice but to spend his lunchtime with him. But then he realised he was being selfish; Jack knew Ianto and Rhiannon very rarely saw each other and if that meant that he had to sacrifice a Ianto-less lunch to make his lover happy, then he would gladly stay up in his office and try to ignore the growing ache in his trousers.

Almost as if the gods had heard him, a distraction for his problem came almost immediately, emitting from the vocal cords of one Miss Toshiko Sato. 'OWEN!' The scream was a playful one, coming more from annoyance than any physical worry. Smiling to himself and shaking his head, he stepped from behind his desk, quickly straightening himself and made his way out of his office. The sight in front of him was comical, although the look on Toshiko's face was telling him it was far from funny for her. Her pink blouse covered in a purple slime, Tosh's eyes flared with anger as she looked over to an almost hysterical medic standing in the arch of the medical bay, who was equally covered in the same coloured slime. In his hand lay, what Jack assumed, the remnants of an organ from the body of the Craetos Owen had been dissecting. It seemed that the medic had finally figured out that the species had exploding organs that were filled with harmless slime. Not the best party trick Jack had seen throughout the Universe, but at least it would keep the children, and for now Owen, entertained.

'That's the only problem with these critters,' Jack said as the two members of his team almost jumped to attention as they noticed the figure of their leader had now entered the room. 'All fun and games until someone loses an eye.' He couldn't help but smile at the sudden panic stricken look on Tosh's face. 'Don't worry, Tosh. Stuff comes right out. As for you, Dr Harper, haven't you got any real work to do?'

'I am doing real work as you put it, Jack.' Owen handed Tosh a cloth and gave her an apologetic smile. 'Who's to say work and fun can't go hand in hand together?' Owen wiped the small spot of slime from his brow as he looked at Jack. As much as he wanted to forget it, his medical brain was still working on full power, silently assessing Jack for any sign of instability or uncertainty that could still be present after his time in Hell. Satisfied, he turned away and took the cloth from Tosh, dabbing away at his shirt.

'Fine,' Jack said. 'Just find it kinda odd that the guy who kept pestering us this morning to get into work is doing very little of said task himself.' Grinning away, he turned to head back into his office when he was stopped dead in his tracks by what Owen said next.

'Jack, I don't know what you're talking about.' Without even looking at his medic, Jack could tell that Owen was being truthful and that he was thoroughly surprised himself with what Jack had said. 'We didn't call you in today. Surprised myself you came in, I know Gwen's not here, but...'

'What do you mean?' Jack now turned to face Tosh and Owen, a slight look of concern crossing his face. 'You texted Ianto this morning to see if we were ever going to get into work.' Tosh could see there was something not quite right; she had no doubt that Jack was telling what he perceived to be the truth, but then her mind was racing with all the possibilities and reasons why Ianto would lie to Jack. Before she could open her mouth, Owen had already stepped in.

'Look, Jack. I've not been near my phone all day and Tosh has been up at her workstation.' He knew almost instantly that maybe he should have just lied and backed Ianto up with whatever charade he was pulling. He could see Jack's strong demeanour begin to crumble as he began wringing his hands, looking in the direction of the archives as if Ianto would magically appear and tell him everything was alright. 'Hey, I bet it was just Ianto trying to get you all up and ready. You know what that guy is like with being on time and the like.' He knew Jack wasn't buying the line and, if Owen was in his shoes, he knew he wouldn't either. He wasn't sure what Tea-Boy was up to, but he had better come up with some damn fine explanation.

'But...he...' Jack couldn't form any kind of sentence, no matter how much he tried. He didn't want to think it, but it was the only thought that came to mind; Ianto was seeing someone secretly. The text messages, the reaction Ianto had in the car, they were all making a sense Jack didn't want to comprehend. He kept looking towards the archives and his first instinct was to run to Ianto and to take comfort in his arms, rationalise that there was a big misunderstanding but everything was alright. Yet, he couldn't help but recall the images of Hell, Ianto with his arms around another man. _I used you, Jack. The same way we all do._ Ianto wouldn't lie to him, he couldn't lie to him. _Did you really trust me, Jack?_ All thoughts of romantic dinners and playful shower mornings were wiped from his mind as he began to run for the archives, not noticing or hearing Tosh and Owen.

Owen headed back down into the autopsy bay and Tosh couldn't help but tag along with him. As much as she wanted to intervene, she was more than just a little afraid.

****

It was fair to say that Ianto Jones, for a long time in quite a while, was royal cheesed off. Throwing the file violently towards the table in front of him, he sucked on the third paper cut he had received in the good part of an hour. This day was just getting better and better, Ianto thought to himself and couldn't help but take a quick glance at his watch, _11.45._ Allowing himself to smile for the first time since leaving Jack to finish his paperwork, his tired and annoyed mind allowed itself to wonder for a couple of seconds as he took a few calming breaths. Lyn would make it all better, at least for a while. With her, he could be himself, the self he was way back before he joined Torchwood, before Canary Wharf, before Lisa... before Jack. He hated to think it but a part of him needed some time away from Jack. He knew he was being selfish; Jack had just escaped from a Hell dimension and was still suffering terribly. But still, Ianto kicked the filing cabinet in frustration, which he quickly regretted when a sharp pain shot through his toe. He was fed up with everything. When was the Universe going to treat him the respect and dignity he craved?

'Ianto?' His eyes remained tightly closed as he heard his name being shouted down the corridor. Letting out a ragged breath as he heard the sound of running feet approaching him, he turned to face the force charging towards him and all he could think was _great, what does he want now?_

Opening his eyes, he was slightly taken aback at the figure standing in front of him; out of breath and with watery eyes, Jack stared back at Ianto but he had stopped a good foot or so away from him. The man in front of him looked like a frightened and lost little boy in a supermarket who had just found his mother, not knowing whether to run into her arms and be comforted or to be wary of the wrath that he knew was there for getting lost. Wringing his hands, he eyes failed at keeping contact with Ianto's for any long period of time and when he finally did speak, his voice was a whispered and upset tone.

'You... you lied to me,' Jack muttered, still unable to look his Ianto in the eye.

'What?' Ianto was genuinely searching Jack's face to find some kind of indication of what it was exactly that he lied about.

'You said Owen told us to come in, but he didn't.' Jack hated feeling this small, this fragile, but there was no way he was emotionally strong enough yet to cope with what he was ultimately facing. He hated it even more when Ianto let out a shaky laugh and cupped his chin with his hand, making him look Ianto square in the eye.

'God, is that it?' Ianto tried to keep his tone neutral. 'I only did it to get you moving. If it makes you feel better, I'm sorry.' He brushed away the stray tear that leaked from Jack's eye and for a moment, Jack took comfort in the touch of Ianto's hand.

'Well then who texted you when we were in the car?' Jack could feel Ianto's hand stiffen under his cheek and Jack knew that his thoughts were right, and he hated himself.

'Jack, it doesn't matter. I don't understand why you're acting like this.' A part of him wanted to stay, take Jack in his arms and look after him. However, the main part of his brain was screaming to get out and up to the Bay with Lyn.

'No, you tell me who it was.' Jack didn't know where the sudden burst of confidence came from, but he relished in it.

'Just a friend,' Ianto knew that was the safest thing to say and hoped it would shut Jack up. God, how he hated thinking that, but he was desperate to get out and away from everything Torchwood, even for just a few minutes. 'Look, I have to go meet Rhiannon for lunch. I'll see you when I get back and please don't keep worrying about this.'

'You're not seeing Rhiannon,' Jack said aloud, knowing he should have just kept quite.

'Okay, fine. I'm not seeing my sister.' Ianto spun round and his heart was in his throat when he saw Jack jump at his sudden outburst. 'Look, nothing is going on. I'm meeting a friend for lunch instead, but I knew you would probably get all jealous after everything you told me about what you saw in Hell, so I lied.' He took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. His frustration was boiling and rising, causing his fists to bunch up unconsciously. 'You know what, Owen was right. You need to snap out of this and come back to us, come back to me.' With that final sentence, Ianto made his way out of the archives, up through the Hub and through the cog door, Jack following close behind but not quickly enough. As the cog door rolled back into position, Jack heard the sound of Ianto's phone buzzing from the coffee machine where Ianto had discarded it earlier. Picking up the phone, he saw displayed on the screen _Message-Lyn. _Without a care, he opened the message.

_Outside now, don't keep me waiting xxx_

He scrawled through all the other text messages from Lyn that he could find and before Tosh and Owen could reach him, he collapsed to the floor in a fit of tears.

* * *

**Aw, poor Jack. But still, next chapter Lyn is finally revealed so hold onto your hats.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone. Im so sorry I haven't updated in a while. What with finally having a holiday and of course, Children of Earth, I have been slightly pre-occupied. But now Im back so this story is actually gonna get done. So, on with the show...**

**Warning: A bit of swearing but nothing big. Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

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_Shit, shit, shit. _The words echoed through Ianto's brain as he made his way up to the Tourist Office. Resting his head against the cool metal of the lift, he continued cursing himself as he was carried up and away from the Hub...away from Jack. Why was he such a coward? Why couldn't he have simply said he was meeting Lyn for lunch? Deep down he knew the answer; it was all so he wouldn't hurt Jack. But at the same time, he knew this was hurting him more than the truth ever would. If he had told Jack the truth, he knew it would lead to the inevitable. _Who's Lyn? You've never mentioned her before. _How was he supposed to continue that conversation? Yes, she was Ianto's friend, first and foremost. They had met each other the first day they started school all those years ago. He smiled at the memory; he had been so nervous about starting school properly, Rhiannon had been teasing him like mad that morning about what the other kids did to new starts. Clutching his little school bag in one hand and his father's hand tightly in another, he had stood by the school gates and refused point blank to step foot inside. That was when Lyn, decked out in her little school uniform and pigtails, had skipped up to him from the playground, her mother quickly forgotten as she ventured forth into the beginning of life.

'Hello,' she smiled at Ianto and gave a small giggle as the little boy turned away from her to hide under his father's coat. Tapping him lightly on the shoulder, her smile increased when he turned to look at her. 'I'm Lyn, what's your name?'

'Ianto,' the little boy mumbled, his eyes fixed on the ground below him. Lyn giggled again as she held out her hand to him.

'You silly.' Ianto finally looked at her, his hand still tightly holding onto his father. 'Don't be scared. We play.' Staring into her eyes, he gave a small smile and released his hold on his father's hand, taking hold of Lyn's as she led him into the playground. In almost no time at all, those fears of starting school were just a distant memory.

From that day on, they had been the best of friends, growing up together and sharing everything with each other. But then there was the other part of their friendship. The part that he knew Jack would draw out of him one way or another. When Jack had left, he had been seeing Lyn almost every night, drinking away the nights he wasn't needed at the Hub, longing for some kind of comfort. One night, about a month after Jack's disappearance and after several varieties of alcoholic beverages were consumed, Ianto had kissed Lyn. Fair enough, it had not been the first time. They had been through the whole '_are they my friend or more than that'_ scenario when they were fourteen, with both of them settling on just being friends after a disastrous 'first date' that they joked about now in hindsight. But this time, it was different; Ianto needed more than just a shoulder to cry on. God, how he had missed Jack and how much he had missed feeling the close contact of another body. Soon, the kissing grew more heated and they had found themselves both partly naked on the floor of Lyn's apartment when he felt her push him away.

'As much as I want this, Yan, I know it's not me you want.' Lyn looked deep into her friend's eyes as she ran her thumb over his cheekbone and felt the tears falling from Ianto's face. Still lying on the floor, Ianto finally opened up and told Lyn everything about Jack. Okay, he had left out Torchwood and the fact Jack was immortal, but still he told her everything. After he was finished, she kissed him one last time, fixed her clothing and took out her emergency bottle of tequila, the one they always got out when they had had a good heart to heart. Ianto couldn't remember what happened after that.

He was brought sharply out of his memories when the lift came to a halt and the door opened in front of him. He leapt from the lift and strode quickly across to the Office door. Placing one hand on the door knob, he couldn't help but give one last look towards the lift. Should he go back down and be there for Jack? He knew he had acted rashly and he was worried so much about Jack that he found himself taking a few steps back the way he came. _No,_ he thought to himself sharply. Without a second thought, he returned to the door and flung it wide open, stepping into the cold and windy outside world. _Should have got my coat._

He spotted Lyn instantly; dark brown hair cascaded over her shoulders as she pulled back a strand that had been blown into her face. Leaning against the railings, she looked out to the Bay, her striking features forming a lump in Ianto's throat. She brought her cigarette to her full lips and took a long drag of nicotine. Turning her head, she finally spotted Ianto standing by the Tourist Office and gave a wide grin.

'Well, hello there, stranger.' Lyn extinguished her cigarette and began to walk up to him. 'Not standing me up this time? You know, for a man who claims to know everything, he sure can forget things when he bloody wants...' She paused as she saw the look on her friend's face. 'Yan, you okay?' Her heartbeat increased as she saw the strained and pained look on Ianto's face. She could see the tears forming in his eyes as he tried to give her a comforting smile. 'Come here,' she said as she enveloped him into a hug and let him cry quietly on her shoulder.

*****

'Jack? Jack?' Tosh bent down in front of her broken Captain, her chest tightening at the sight she saw. She had never seen Jack like this before; she had seen him cry before and she remembered back to when they had been sent back to 1941 and met the real Captain Jack Harkness. But this was different; his whole body shook with tremors as the tears continued to flow. Clutching Ianto's mobile tightly to his chest, he was oblivious to Tosh's presence. He hated himself for the way he was reacting. He knew everyone he ever loved left him; The Doctor, Estelle, Alex, Suzie, why would Ianto be any different? He'd tried to do things differently with Ianto, take the time to know him, but even that didn't seem to make any difference. He knew he would lose Ianto one day, but not today and certainly _not_ like this. If Ianto wasn't completely with this woman, Jack knew that his actions today would certainly have made it happen.

'Jack? Speak to me.' Tosh rested her hand on Jack's arm as his sobs began to slow until they eventually stopped. He glanced at Tosh through his watery eyes and, shaking his head, he quickly got up from the floor and ran to his office, nearly knocking Owen over in the process. Owen looked to Tosh for answers as she made her way up to her workstation to join him.

'What has Tea-boy done now?' Owen sighed as Tosh threw him an inquisitive look.

'What makes you think its Ianto's fault?

'Believe me, Tosh.' Owen bridged the gap between them and looked sadly towards Jack's office, the door firmly closed as soon as Jack had entered. 'Only Tea-boy could make him cry like that.' He gave a sad smile and headed back down to the medical bay.

'Shouldn't we go in there,' Tosh nodded her head to the door. 'Maybe we should get Ianto back down here and get this sorted out.' Owen had stopped and simply looked up at Tosh.

'It's not for us to sort this out. They need to do this themselves.' With that, Owen disappeared, leaving Tosh to stand alone at her workstation, puzzled and confused. That was, until she noticed the space on her desk; the space that, up to a moment ago, was taken up by the Fear Facilitator.

'OWEN!'

*****

Jack stared at the CCTV in front of him. Lyn had her arms around Ianto as his...friend buried his face into her shoulders, holding her tightly to him. The tears began to flow once again as Jack fiddled with the Fear Facilitator in his hands. Taking one last look at Ianto, he held the artefact in one hand tightly as it began to start up.

'Goodbye, Ianto.'

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**I know, I have no right to be an evil cliffhanger writer but I sadly get a kick out of it. Don't hate Lyn, she means well really. In fact, Im working on a little mini-series of drabbles set around Ianto and Lyn growing up. Any thoughts. Good, bad.. please review.**

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	13. Chapter 13

'JACK!' Owen barely had time to register what was going on when Tosh ran towards Jack's office, the clicking of her heels echoing through the Hub. He saw her charge through the door, swinging it wide open and then he saw her stop. She didn't say anything, she didn't move; he just watched as she stood frozen to the spot, her eyes fixed on the figure in front of her, obscured from Owen's sight until he made his way up to her. What he saw in front of him shook him to his core; Jack sat in his chair, his eyes wide but with no sign of life. The tears that had been there just recently still hung to his lashes, a few escaping the lifeless eyes as they cascaded down the flushed cheeks quickly turning pale. In his hand, the cylinder flashed an incoherent pattern of colours as they danced over Jack's white knuckles. Owen could only do one thing; he staggered back and supported himself against the doorframe.

'Jack?' Owen watched as Tosh slowly built up her courage and stepped forward to their comatose leader. He could easily pick up the fear in her voice, the worry in her body language. 'Jack, can you hear me?' She walked around his desk and took hold of his shoulder, shuddering inside as she felt the tense muscles under her grip. She was unaware of Owen's presence as she continued in her attempts to arouse Jack out of his current state. She was unaware of Owen reaching down to the cylinder that lay tightly in Jack's grip. She only became aware of Owen when he let out a stream of expletives and staggered backwards from Jack, brining his right hand to his chest.

'Bloody hell, what was that?' Owen let out a sharp breath as he examined his hand. He was adamant that he hadn't even touched the damn thing, but on inspection of his hand, he thought otherwise as the flesh began to redden and grow tender. So, removing the artefact from Jack was a definite no-no, he thought.

'So I take it we can't just snap Jack out of this,' Tosh said, her attention now focused on the medic. Owen glared at her, quickly softening his features as he tried a small smile. Only, he couldn't do it, he didn't know what was going on and he didn't know how they were going to get Jack back. The medic side of him wanted to strap Jack down and run any and every medical test he could think of, his Torchwood side wanted to get the cylinder examined and work out what kind of alien could concoct such a device. He vaguely recognised movement as he saw Tosh trying to activate her comms.

'What are you doing?' Owen stared at her, putting all his will power into looking away from his leader who still sat comatose.

'I can't get hold of Ianto,' Tosh replied, taping her ear piece several more times but to no avail. Remembering what had happened the first time they had found the artefact, she cursed herself slightly. 'Radiation, the cylinder's knocked out our comms, probably most of the radio signals throughout the Bay. I'm going to have to...'

'What? Get Tea-Boy to rescue Jack again?' Owen let out a low laugh from his throat. 'Yeah, he's the best person right now to help Jack.' Shaking his head, he walked across to Jack and took his vitals, wary not to touch the cylinder again. Tosh looked at him, her eyes full of confusion.

'You think Ianto made him do this?' She couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice. She didn't want to believe it herself but her brain couldn't find any explanation as to why Jack would willingly put himself through this. Shaking her head at the silence Owen emitted, she headed out of the office and headed straight through the cog door, her PDA held tightly in her hand.

*****

'What the bloody hell,' the young man slapped his laptop, hoping that physical abuse would make more of an impact than the verbal abuse he had been giving it over the past couple of minutes. 'Modern technology, my arse.' Lyn couldn't help but stare at the man as she walked away from the bar with two pints chilling in her hands. Shaking her head with a smile on her face, she turned away from the scene and walked back over to the table where Ianto sat looking into space.

'You remember when you could come in here for a quiet drink?' She placed the pint down in front of her friend before taking a large sip from hers. 'Now it seems every prick needs 24 hour internet access to survive.' She hoped she could win a smile from her friend but was just met with a vacant stare. Giving a long sigh and taking another sip from her pint, she looked directly into Ianto's eyes and waited for him to speak.

'How's the world of decorating?' Ianto finally blinked as his mind spoke the first thing that came to mind. Well, the first thing on his mind that wasn't to do with Jack.

'Ah, no you don't,' Lyn said, shaking her head as she placed her drink back on the table. 'You don't get to do your "let's talk about everyone else but me" act. You meet me with blood-shot eyes and a kicked puppy look and you want to talk about paint and fabric?' She looked deep into her friend's eyes, knowing he was dying to open up completely and let go of all the burden on his shoulders. Taking his hand in hers, she ran her thumb over his knuckles as she sat patiently, waiting for her answer.

'I can't take it anymore,' Ianto finally spoke, his voice merely a whisper as his eyes dropped to the table. 'Everything's just so...' Ianto took hold of his pint and downed half of the liquid before Lyn had a chance to blink.

'Now, don't go shouting at me,' Lyn began, being careful with her tone of voice. 'Is this all to do with that guy, Jack, you told me about?' The silence emitting from her friend was enough to answer her question. Taking a few more sips from her beer, she let out another sigh before she began. 'Look, Yan. I know you were never one to let your emotions get the better of you. So, I'm thinking, if this Jack of yours has got you in this state, he's definitely a topic of discussion, whether you like it or not.'

'Why?' The question had left Ianto's mouth before he had a chance to stop it. 'Why does everything have to be about Jack or about my job? God, I thought maybe having lunch today would give me some time away from it all.' The fire in his eyes was something Lyn had seen only a few times in the time she had known Ianto Jones and it had always frightened her. Taking a shaky breath, he continued. 'It's just so bloody complicated all the time and sometimes I wish everything would go the way I wanted it to.'

Ianto drained the last of his pint and was about to make his way to the bar to order another when he was stopped by Lyn's hand grasping tightly onto his arm. 'You listen to me, Ianto Jones.' He always knew she meant business when she called him by his full name and obediently sat back down. 'Nothing is too complicated you can't tell me about it. Okay, I know you can't tell me everything about this job of yours. Although I don't know what grand secrets could hide behind a Tourist Information Office.' Ianto let out a shaky laugh and looked into the eyes of his dearest friend. 'But you should know you can always come to me when it comes to matters of the heart.' She smiled and stroked his cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had appeared suddenly.

'Something happened last night,' Ianto began as he turned in his seat to get comfortable. He could see Lyn's eyes darken and knew exactly what she was thinking. 'Nothing like that, before you say it. He's been through a lot recently and it's changed him.' Letting out a shaky breath, Ianto tried to work out how to get around Jack being sent to Hell and how he could tell Lyn. 'He was...hurt and now...he's not the man I know.' Lyn listened intently before starting up her questioning.

'He's not the strong and fearless man you fell for?' Lyn could tell she was on the right path as Ianto slowly nodded his head. 'You're worried that he's not going to get better and you don't want to think that it will change you relationship?'

'Always said the decorating world was wasted on you,' Ianto said as he smiled at the wise words of his friend.

'Look, Yan. Everyone goes through their bad phases. Everyone goes to Hell every now and then.' Ianto froze at that last sentence as Lyn continued. 'People are going to become unrecognisable when grief or tragedy strikes. It's what the people around them, the people that love them, do that will bring them back to who they were.' She finished the last of her pint as Ianto took in her words.

'I think I love you,' Ianto smiled as his dearest friend laughed at him, wiggling her now empty glass at him.

'Well you know how to repay me.' Lyn smiled as she watched Ianto walk across to the bar with their two empty glasses. She let out a small laugh to herself as she looked through the open windows to the Bay. Everyone was going about their normal day; parents pushing their small children around in prams, business men chatting away on their phones and an Asian woman in a pink shirt almost sprinting towards the bar. _Bloody hell, she must be thirsty, _Lyn thought to herself as she watched the young woman pull out some kind of device that flashed. She was oblivious to Ianto's return and jumped when he spoke.

'Better not get through this one as quick. Don't think your clients would appreciate their interior designer...' Noticing Lyn had almost no interest in the conversation, he sighed and took a sip from his beer. Turning around again to face the women again, she noticed her waving in their direction.

'Yan, you don't happen to know any Asian women with pink shirts and strange little computers would you?' Ianto immediately looked up at her.

'Why would you say that?'

'Just I think that that woman there is trying to get your attention.' She pointed over to Tosh and Ianto couldn't help but sigh loudly as Tosh made her way over to them.

'Look, Tosh,' Ianto started, not even looking her in the eye. 'I'll only be gone an hour. If Jack really can't look after himself until I get back then...' He stopped dead as he finally looked into her eyes. They were reddened slightly and her breath came in loud gulps. 'Tosh, what is it?' Lyn could pick up easily on the tension and stood up with Ianto.

'Ianto...I...' That was all Tosh could muster and that's all Ianto needed to forget everything and run straight out of the pub and back to the Hub.


	14. Chapter 14

The darkness was never ending. In a world of shadows which twisted into tormented figures, eager for revenge and answers, Captain Jack Harkness awoke. He was still sat at his desk, he knew that; he could feel the old and varnished wood underneath his fingertips as he searched the surrounding area for any indication of where he was. But he knew where he was really; he was locked away in his own mind, driven there by his friends and insecurities. He considered just sitting where he was and allow the passage of time to take control. His body would waste away whilst his mind kept idle in its own makeshift cell, manifested by the Fear Facilitator. He wandered though if his regenerative powers would keep his body fresh and alive, or whether it would fade to nothing and painfully knit itself back together, pulling himself out of this situation as well. At the back of his mind, he pleaded that the latter would not come true. He had put himself here for a reason and that was to forget. Granted, it was not the best place for an escape, but it had been the most convenient. He could simply forget about Torchwood, about Tosh and Owen, even forget about Ianto. He would let his darkest fears consume him from the inside and he would not care.

'Well, fun though this is, how about giving us a little light.' The voice travelled across the darkness and caught Jack unaware, making him fall off balance and collide with the table. Letting out a wince of pain, he subconsciously rubbed at his leg whilst peering into the darkness. He knew that voice, he was certain of it. As if wishing had made it happen, Jack's office became awash with light, so much so that Jack squinted away from the sudden intrusion to his senses. Blinking several times, he looked back to the figure in front of him and gasped.

'Michael?' There, large as life, Michael Andrews stood in front of him, looking no different from the last time he had seen him; dressed in a black polo neck shirt with a red suit jacket over the top with matching trousers, he twiddled an unlit cigar in one hand. Jack always thought he looked like Dean Stockwell in _Quantum Leap_ and remembered how he had tried to stop himself making witty remarks when Michael picked up a PDA. His mind allowed itself to flashback to before his new team, to when Alex had killed himself and the others, leaving Jack all alone once again. Michael had been sent down from Torchwood 2 to assist the Captain and to encourage him to find a new team and rebuild Torchwood 3 from the ashes of the fallen. It was Michael who had encouraged Jack he was making the right decision to take on Suzie Costello. It was Michael who had alerted him to Tosh, locked away in a U.N.I.T holding cell. It was Michael who had stayed with him those long nights when Jack felt like giving up, although Michael had put it straight from the start that his wife would kill him if she knew he was shacking up with the infamous Captain Jack Harkness.

'Thank God for that,' Michael uttered, his Scottish accent soothing Jack as he walked around to meet his dear friend. 'I know you were always one for dark and depressing, but that was just a step too far.' He grinned at Jack who continued to stare at him as if he had seen a ghost.

'Michael?' Jack asked again, to which Michael nodded his head in recognition of his name. 'How...what...what are you doing here?'

'Well it looks like you've picked me to be your Clarence.' Michael let out a laugh before he saw the look of confusion dawn on Jack's face. 'Clarence. _It's a Wonderful Life._' Jack's confused expression remained and Michael let out a sigh. 'Really Jack. You've been alive how long and you've never heard of _It's a Wonderful Life?_ What do you do every Christmas? Anyways, cutting a long story short, I'm here to help you.' Shaking his head, Jack tried to encourage his mind to take control again. Why was Michael here? There had never been anything in the blueprints that he had seen of the Fear Facilitator about there being a 'helping hand.' The victims he had seen thrashed around in their comatose state, being chased and hunted by their deepest and darkest fears until their bodies gave out and died from dehydration and malnutrition. That's why the item had been shelved back in the 32nd century.

'Not that I'm not glad to see you again,' Jack started, keeping his eyes on Michael, afraid he would disappear if he looked away. 'But why you? I mean, why didn't my brain conjure someone else to help me out? Why choose someone I haven't seen in nearly five years?' Jack couldn't help but see the slight hurt in Michael's eyes and wished that he had just stayed quiet.

'If I was any less of a man, that statement might have actually hurt.' Jack could see the slight glimmer of humour in his friend's eyes as he apologised. 'Well, to be honest, I don't know really. It's your mind that made me come here. I guess maybe seeing the Doctor would have been too much of an authority figure, Rose would have been too forgiving, John Hart would have been too distracting and Ianto Jones would have...'

'We don't need to bring him up,' Jack said abruptly, the images of Ianto with his arms around another person still burned into his memory.

'And therein lies the rub,' Michael said as he saw a flash of pain cross his friend's face. Stepping closer to Jack, he attempted to regain eye contact without lifting Jack's head physically and preventing him from staring at the ground beneath them. 'Look Jack. I only know as much as you let me know. I'm here to help you mentally and to help you understand your fears, not to interfere. However, if you think you are going to lock yourself away in your own mind for the rest of eternity, you have got another thing coming.' He smiled as he saw his friend's tear stained eyes look into his. 'Plus, I don't fancy hanging around inside your head for eternity as well. Things you think about are enough to make a whore blush.' His smile increased as Jack let out a choked laugh.

'So, you know why I'm here then?' Jack silently said, wringing his hands. He let out a nervous laugh. 'This whole thing is... I don't even know myself why I'm here.' He perched himself onto the edge of the table as he watched Michael walk towards him and follow suit, sliding an item out of the way so he could sit on the table next to Jack.

'Okay, first things first, this isn't the Fear Facilitator you remember.' Jack couldn't help but gaze in amazement as to how Michael knew that was what he was thinking, but he knew he would have to get used to it. 'Back when it was first made, it was severely flawed. They realised it was probably not such a good idea to just bombard the poor souls with their deepest fears. So, using the same psychic software, only thankfully updated, they managed to create a much safer environment for their users. They let the user walk through their nightmare with the psychic image of someone they most desired or felt was the most influential person to help them.' Michael had now lit his cigar and was puffing away, leaving clouds of smoke hovering in Jack's office. 'Hence the _It's a Wonderful Life _analogy. I mean, helping them see the truth, not showing them how shit life would be for their loved ones if they weren't born. But, you haven't seen the film so why am I trying to rationalise my analogy to you.' Letting out a small laugh as he sent another cloud of smoke into the air, he looked across to his friend as he saw the young immortal trying to take in everything he had just been told.

'So, you help me out with my fears, I go back and live happily ever after in denial?' Jack couldn't help but raise his voice. He didn't want to go back, not yet. What would await him? A pissed off Ianto with his arms around a gorgeous woman and enjoying the life Jack knew he couldn't give to him? No, thank you. Jack was quite content to stay and sulk for just a little while longer.

'Alright, Jack.' Michael began as he straightened his clothing and looked down at his friend. 'Let's start off easy. How about you tell me just what you're most afraid of.' Michael was met with silence. He knew this wasn't going to end as quickly as he had hoped.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry it has been so long with the updates. Been kinda ill of late, still not really well and this chapter has gone through endless re-writes because my ill mind kept thinking it was really bad. However, I finally got this chapter in a state I was happy with and the next chapter will be up for Wednesday evening. See you then :)**

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His blood pumped fiercely in his ears, his heart thumped tremendously in his ribcage and the muscles in his legs began to ache and throb. Yet Ianto Jones kept running. Ianto Jones kept on running because, at this moment in time, it was the only thing he could do; it was the only thing that he could do to get back to Jack. He didn't curse himself, he didn't curse Jack for whatever he had done. Ianto couldn't curse anyone because he was on complete autopilot. His mind was a clear canvas with only one thought painted across it; if he could get back to Jack, everything would be okay.

He burst through the Tourist Office door, unaware of Tosh's entrance as he slammed his fist against the button which opened the doorway to the lift to the Hub. He only became aware of the Asian woman's presence when he slowed for breath whilst the lift made its way up to meet them.

'Tosh, what...what is it? What exactly happened to Jack?' Ianto could have slapped himself. He had run a good mile back to the Hub, caring not for innocent bystanders or shoppers that filled the city, just focused on one person. He didn't even know exactly what had happened to Jack, but he could tell deep within his gut and by Tosh's fallen eyes that his sudden departure that morning had caused Jack to have some form of relapse or perhaps had led him to do something even worse. He watched as Tosh tried to form a coherent and uncomplicated sentence when a voice came from behind them.

'Bloody hell, I guess there _are_ some grand secrets behind Tourist Offices.' Lyn's voice carried down the corridor as she walked slowly towards Ianto and Tosh. Slightly startled by the reverberation of her own voice on the concrete walls, she let out a shaky laugh before seeing the look of sheer worry and confusion on the faces in front of her. 'They all come like this?'

'Lyn, what are you doing here?' Ianto looked into the face of his dearest friend and picked up almost instantly the look of hurt reflected in her eyes.

'Look, I don't know what the hell is going on or where the hell I am right now,' Lyn spoke slowly, trying to take in her new surroundings. 'But when a friend gets up and leaves because his partner might be in trouble, neither heaven or earth is going to move me from being there for you.' She smiled softly at Ianto as she placed her hand onto his arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Their moment was broken all too suddenly by the lift doors opening and Tosh clearing her throat. As Ianto and Lyn stepped forward, Tosh put out an arm to block them, facing Lyn with an almost territorial stare.

'Look, not to be rude,' Tosh began. She could never been mean or vindictive to a person she just met and a person who seemed to be good friends with one of her work colleagues, but Tosh had a stare that would make even the most senior official rethink regarding her as nothing more than an office type. True, she had only ever used it once, but it proved fruitful then and hoped it would now, without the need to pull out a stun gun. 'This is kind of personal. Best thing to do would be to turn around and forget this was ever here.'

'Sorry, and you are?' Lyn wasn't moved in the slightest. She had grown up in the same area as Ianto and had seen her fair share of provocative women. She had even been one of them. As was the case, she wasn't about to let some strange woman whisk her friend down to whatever was underneath them.

'Toshiko Sato. I work with Ianto. And you?' Ianto slid himself behind the two arguing women slowly and, feeling with his hands, tried to find the button. His partner was down in the bowels of the Hub, possibly suffering and in pain and all his two female friends could do was play the bitchy version of Top Trumps. He knew exactly what Lyn was about to say and began to recite it under his breath as he continued to fumble for the button.

'Lyn Evans. I've known Ianto since we were five years old, we practically grew up together and there is nothing we don't share.' Lyn seemed to falter slightly as she anticipated the next question on the Asian woman's lips. 'Well, apart from this apparently. Ianto...'

But both of them were too late. As they turned around, Ianto managed to find the button and the lift doors closed in front of him, blocking out the bickering women and leading him down into the Hub. He rested his head against the cool metal and let himself sob quietly as the lift descended into his personal Hell.

'Brilliant,' Lyn shouted as she banged her fists against the closed lift doors. Letting out a small sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and turned to Tosh. 'I don't suppose this place, whatever it is, has a back way?' She watched as Toshiko waved her towards a flight of stairs to the left of the lift and the two women began to descend at a great speed. Her heart beat against her rib cage with such a force she was sure it would burst out of her chest. She had found herself in the most bizarre situation; she was just an interior designer, told people where to hang curtains or what colour to paint walls. She suddenly felt very small as she followed Tosh down the staircase towards god knows what. Lyn had told Ianto once that she would follow him to Hell and back, but now that Hell was possibly starring her right in the face, she was beginning to think that maybe that pledge of long time ago was a bad idea.

*****

Ianto belted through the cog door the moment he saw a gap. The alarms sounded loudly but Ianto was oblivious. His focus purely on Jack's office, the young Welshman bounded up the stairs and crashed through the closed doors. What he saw terrified him, but he could not take his eyes off the comatose figure of his lover. He was aware of Owen speaking, but what those words were did not register in Ianto's mind. His eyes focused on Jack, he dropped down to his knees in front of his partner as he looked into the dead eyes which peered into the space beyond consciousness. His hand went straight to his mouth as he forced the pint he drank earlier back down to his stomach.

'Ianto,' Owen mustered as he looked down at his teammate. In his mind, he knew he should be pulling the young man to his knees and beating some sense into him. But he knew that would do no good at this point. They needed to get Jack back somehow, heaven knew how exactly, so he kept his calm and looked down into the forlorn face of his friend. 'Ianto...we need to get him into the lab.'

All Ianto could do was nod his head as he ran his hands down Jack's legs until he reached the ankles, never removing his gaze from the clouded eyes shining bleakly from the pale face. His eyes still locked onto Jack's as Owen lifted his upper body as the two men lifted him from the office and down into the medical bay. Laying Jack onto the table, Owen left them as he searched the area around him, in vain hope of finding the right equipment that would give some insight into Jack's current condition. Ianto felt hopeless as he brushed away the stray hair on Jack's forehead and continued to stroke his partner's face, hoping the physical sensation would register with Jack's brain and bring him back to the world around him.

'Owen, what have we got?' The two men were unaware of the Tosh's entrance as she made her way down the stairs to the rest of her teammates. Ianto only became aware of the world around him when he heard the startled cry of his dear friend as she followed Tosh down into the medical bay.

'This is...I mean...shit!' Lyn looked around her at the new world she had stepped into. Tosh had briefed her slightly into what she could expect when she reached the bottom of the stairs, but she never believed she would find herself in some kind of big science fiction super base. 'The nerve of you to say you tell me everything.' She smiled to herself before she looked down towards her friend clinging tightly to the rather hot unconscious body in front of her. She fled past Tosh as she joined Ianto. 'Is this him then?'

Ianto merely nodded as the two of them watched over the body of the Captain. Ianto vaguely felt Lyn's hand on his shoulder as the tears began to fall from his eyes. What had he done? But his mind was broken away from such thoughts as Captain Jack Harkness lunged forward in his unconscious state and screamed.


	16. Chapter 16

**I know I said Wednesday for an update, but my illness and work still persists. On the plus side though, I finally have a day off work so there will be another chapter sometime Thursday afternoon/evening.**

**Slight warning: some physical torture in this but nothing extreme, just like to keep my readers aware and happy.**

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All Jack could do was scream as the figure loomed over him, peering deep into his very being and toying with the flesh underneath its claws. He thrashed his arms above himself, but all he hit was air as the creature weaved its way between his punches as it tore through his shirt and exposed the flesh beneath. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack watched in horror as Michael sat puffing away on his cigar, rolling his eyes at the scene in front of him. The screams in his throat built up on each other as they tried to force themselves out of his mouth.

The creatures, the ones from his nightmares, had invaded his mind and were now torturing him, just the same way as they had tortured his dad and brother. Taking pleasure in the pain they were inflicting, a small guttural laugh echoed from its throat as it flew its head back in sheer ecstasy at its own actions. Slowly slicing into the flesh underneath, the claws continued to burrow downwards, leisurely making its way to Jack's organs. It soaked up the screams of pain from its victim and fed on them, fuelling the being to press ever onwards in extracting the treasures from its meal.

'Don't you think this has gone on long enough?' Michael's words cut through Jack as he watched the figure of his friend crouch down next to him. The creature, completely oblivious to Michael's presence, continued to burrow down into Jack's chest cavity as the immortal stared blindly into space. 'Why don't you tell me what you are _really _afraid of and it will make this whole experience much easier for the pair of us.'

Jack turned away from his friend and looked back into the eyes of the creature who had taken so much away from him. These creatures had killed his father and abducted his brother, leaving Jack alone with a mother who couldn't even look at him and had driven him to spend the rest of his young adulthood looking for the brother he wouldn't admit was dead. He deserved this; this wasn't his fear, this was his penance. And as the creature found his heart and began to extract it nerve by nerve from Jack's body, the pain stopped.

The creature had gone, replaced by the image of Michael, now standing above him and holding out his hand for Jack to take. The smoke from his cigar twirled in the air above them as Jack's vision cleared and focused. Scuttling away from his friend, he brought himself up onto his hands and knees and was able to crawl across the floor and underneath Tosh's workstation. He brought his knees close to his chest as he huddled further into the darkened corner and tried to block out the cries of his friend.

'Jack, for God sake, I can't help you if you don't speak to me.' Michael bent down and tried to regain Jack's eye line. He sighed deeply as he saw the shell of one of his dear friends shaking in front of him. The body language emanating from Jack indicated he wanted to be left alone. Always the way, Michael thought; this was a typical Captain Harkness reaction, he never asked for help and always thought the best way to deal with your problems was to bottle them up and keep them with you.

'No more...please...' Jack spoke the words before he had had chance to think. He knew he had deserved all of this. Everything he'd done, everything he had let happen in his name, he deserved to be in a place like this. Michael was wrong; he wasn't helping at all, he was just a manifestation of his own subconscious trying to reason with himself that all of his sins had good reason. For the first time since he had entered this state, he wished that the Fear Facilitator that had come through the Rift was an original, flawed and full of painful experiences, just like himself.

'JACK!' Michael had discarded his cigar and grabbed hold of Jack's arm, pulling at the material of Jack's military coat but to no avail. His friend still remained underneath the desk, holding his legs tightly to his chest. In the end, he had no choice but to slap Jack across the face and hope that some physical action would snap him out of the state he was in. It worked, although not in the way Michael had hoped.

'Stop it, leave me alone.' Jack held a hand to his cheek, rubbing at the stinging sensation left behind by Michael's hand. 'Why should I even listen to you? This is my mind, I'm creating these images.'

'Yes, Jack.' Michael sighed as he watched his friend crawl from under the desk and wrap his military coat around his body in a protective manner. 'Your mind creates these images, but your mind is influenced by the Fear Facilitator as it burrows deep into your subconscious and picks up on you deepest fears.'

'If that's so, why can't you accept that my deepest fear is those creatures that destroyed my life?' The tears in Jack's eyes had returned as he tried to maintain face to his dear friend. He knew he couldn't keep the facade for long and Jack was soon swamped in a tight embrace by his friend. It lasted all of maybe five seconds before Michael held Jack at arm's length and spoke clearly and precisely.

'I'm so sorry about your family, Jack.' He gave Jack's arm an assuring squeeze as he continued. 'Believe me, I hate to say this, but something else has to be your main fear or else you wouldn't still be here. I can help you, but I can't forgive you. You want to be forgiven for your family's death because you were just a child, there was no way you could have saved your brother. You did everything you could and you hate yourself for losing your grip on his hand, but you have personally forgiven yourself for it. You repented, you looked for him for so long and you never forgot about him. To never be forgiven for your brother, that's no longer your biggest fear, is it?'

Jack nodded his head slowly, taking in all of what Michael had said. He had tried to forgive himself for everything that had happened so long ago, and yet so far in the future. And he had, to some degree. There were other burdens, other rescues that had tipped the scales of his conscious up and down over the one hundred odd years he had been alive. He had moved on, but had always remembered. The lives he had saved and changed had helped some way in relieving his pain and if he were honest, maybe Michael was right.

'I...I don't want to face my true fear. I'm not ready.' Jack whispered as he locked eyes with his friend, only to back away and stumble over the chairs and boxes behind him. His eyes were wide as the screams of terror began to rebuild themselves in his throat. Michael's face had changed, his whole body had changed and the figure in front of him was in no way a comforting figure.

'That's alright, freak,' The Master looked down at Jack as he picked up a scalpel from the desk in front of him. His grin was wide as he weaved his fingers through Jack's hair, tugging Jack's face towards his as he placed a fierce kiss to the Captain's lips. 'While you think about it, it gives us more time. Just the two of us.'

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**So next chapter will focus on the others, especially how the others deal with Lyn. She has evolved quite a bit since she was conceived but you wont be disappointed... catch you later.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Finally, I feel better so this weekend will look good for updates, plus hopefully my new series of shorts focusing on Ianto and Lyn growing up together.**

**Slight warning: Angry Owen, so expect a few choice words.**

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'Jack, please,' Ianto used all of his upper body strength to keep Jack pinned to the table. Owen had stepped in as well, both men desperate to keep the frantic figure in front of them from harming himself even more. Tosh stood in the corner of the medical lab, her hand pressed tightly to her mouth as if she was afraid to let out the whimper that was building within her throat. 'Owen, can't you do something?' Ianto turned and peered deep into the eyes of the doctor in absolute panic.

'And what the hell do you suggest?' Owen kept his hold on Jack's shoulder as the Captain thrashed and screamed underneath him, his eyes wide with fear and panic,yet still undeniably vacant of life, of consciousness.

'Can't you give him some kind of sedative?' The voice from behind Ianto shocked everyone in the room, even the owner of the voice as the sound contrasted heavily with the screams reverberating around the small area. Lyn looked up into Owen's eyes as he finally looked at her. 'Calm him down and then sort him out?'

'I'm sorry,' Owen said as he let his grip on Jack sag slightly. 'Who the bloody hell are you?' Lyn was about to answer when Jack's arm swung out and knocked Owen across the face. Letting out a startled, yet manly yelp, Owen staggered backwards. Ianto took hold of Jack's other shoulder and focused all his might into keeping his partner still.

'How about we do introductions later, okay Owen?' He was trying desperately to keep his cool and his tears back from his friends. This was not the time; Jack needed him, even if he didn't know that he was there and he would be no good as an emotional wreck, not to Jack and not to the others.

Finally, Jack's body became limp as his screams stopped suddenly. His lifeless eyes darted left and right, almost as if he was unconsciously regaining his bearings. Ianto stroked Jack's cheek as he tried to get Jack focused on him, hoping he could hear his voice and draw himself out of his comatose state.

'Jack? Jack can you hear me?' His breath caught in his throat as the Captain let out a strangled sigh and finally settled back onto the table, closing his eyes and depriving Ianto of any hope that was left inside of him. He vaguely felt Lyn's arm loop through his as she led him away from Jack for a second whilst Owen applied a heart monitor and various other wires to Jack's body. The room filled with the erratic heartbeat of the patient as Tosh walked around to Owen, picking up her PDA and typing in the readings coming from the various machinery in front of them.

'Hey, it's going to be okay.' Lyn encouraged her friend to look at her, but Ianto's eyes were focused on the still form of his lover. Scanning every last inch of him, as if he were trying to commit to memory every molecule of the man he... cared for deeply.

'This is all my fault.' The words barely made their way out of Ianto's mouth; they were like a whisper on the sea breeze, barely audible. Barely audible to all, except Owen, who had finished his work and turned to face his colleague.

'Too fucking right, Tea-Boy,' Owen spat as he ignored the cry of protest from the new figure who had entered the Hub. He didn't know who she was and, quite frankly, he couldn't give a toss who she was. His Captain had retreated to the world of nightmares and the one person who had sent him there was now being smothered and mothered by this woman with a pretty face and an amazing body, in Owen's opinion. It didn't take Owen long to add two and two together and make five from it. 'Off you go with a bit of skirt and leave Jack on his own. Not likely to be bloody Tosh's fault.' The air in the medical lab changed very suddenly.

'You better think very clearly before you make an acquisition like that, Harper.' Ianto left the assuring hold of Lyn and began to square up against the medic. Although slightly shorter than Ianto, Owen had been in far more scraps and bar fights that Ianto to know how to square off to an oncoming threat. Neither heard the pleas from the two women who still remained in the lab, asking them to stop and to regain focus on Jack.

'See, I kinda see it as this,' Owen started as he felt Ianto's hot breath beating down on his face. He stood his ground as he placed his hands on his hips. 'Jack gets all clingy and you can't stand not having him being the strong one. You want to be the little brat and can't stand being the one not needing the comfort.'

'You have no idea, Owen.' Ianto clenched his fists as he tried not to rise to the bait, but knew that, internally, he was losing. 'Don't going stirring up things you have no idea about. You're the one who said treating Jack with kid gloves was fruitless.' Lyn had stepped forward, hoping she could break her friend away from this conflict before anything untoward happened. But her efforts were shrugged off, not even noticed, as the testosterone in the room increased tenfold.

'For me, you daft bastard,' Owen sneered as the tension increased between the two men. 'You get your dick in the right frame of mind and just expect Jack to accept it was all just a polite office shag? You fawn over Jack and make it normal, then all of a sudden you start batting the other way and make out with some...' Owen didn't finish the sentence, not after Ianto's fist connected with his jaw and sent him flying backwards towards the stairs. The girls gasped in horror, but Owen was straight back up and returned the punch, hitting Ianto right across the face. Neither wasted anytime and they found themselves in a violent scrap before a pair of strong hands clamped onto their arms.

'ENOUGH!' Lyn stepped between the two and pushed both of them clear away from the other. Owen was slightly taken aback at Lyn's strength as he straightened himself and watched Ianto wipe the blood from his nose. Lyn turned straight to Owen and looked at him with fiery eyes. 'Listen, Dr Harper or whoever the hell you are, if you are going to make statements like that, you better get your bloody facts straight, clear?'

Owen stared at the woman in front of him and for once, he felt slightly intimidated by the presence of this woman. Hell, she was Ianto's friend and, as he knew very little about Ianto outside of work, he suddenly became worried about the company Ianto kept outside of work and in particular the friend now in front of him.

'You two are idiots.' Lyn looked the boys up and down, still standing between them to prevent them from scrapping again. 'If you think there is anything going on between Ianto and me, then you don't know Ianto at all.' Owen actually sunk his head in shame. She was right; he didn't really know Ianto that well. Jack and Tosh had always seemed the ones closest to Ianto and although when Ianto first arrived he hoped he would make a close friend out of Ianto, he had been disappointed with Ianto's firm and quiet manner and that had put him off from attempting a lad friendship with the young Welshman.

'Whatever you think,' Lynn spoke quietly. 'There is nothing between Ianto and me except a deep friendship that's lasted a long time. If there is anyone I know Ianto cares about, it's that poor sod on the table who is going through God knows what. And I hope after we have sorted this out, someone would kindly fill me in on the whole thing.' She smiled softly as she held out her hand to Owen. 'Lyn Evans by the way.' She grinned as Owen took her hand and they were properly introduced.

'Lyn, do you want to come with me?' Tosh spoke softly from her retreated spot in the corner. She knew her two friends needed to reconcile after their encounter and she hoped Lyn would understand that as well. 'Let me fill you in on everything.' The two women headed up the stairs and out into the main area of the Hub, leaving Owen and Ianto alone in the medical lab.

'Ianto...look...'Owen was cut off by Ianto's raised hand and he knew that, at this point in time, the two of them were okay.

'We need to find some way to get Jack out of this.' Ianto moved closer to Jack as he glanced at the Fear Facilitator held tightly in his partner's hand. He was about to touch it when Owen stopped him, waving his bandaged hand in front of him. Straightening himself, he looked up into Owen's eyes. 'You think he... well, Lyn and me... you think he thought...?'

'I don't know, mate.' Owen sighed as he picked up his own PDA and began to scan Jack's body, still reassured that his heartbeat reverberated around the lab. 'But Tosh said he had your phone in his hand when he broke down. I take it Lyn was the one who texted you this morning.' He knew by Ianto's flushed look that he was right. 'Shit, Ianto. Why didn't you just tell him the truth?' He never got the answer as he heard Tosh's heels click on the stone above him and as he looked up, he was met with the flustered face of Tosh.

'I think I have an idea of how to get Jack back.'

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**Dun, dun, dun... More Saturday :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Please read first:**

**I'm putting an M rating on this chapter just to be safe. This turned out a lot darker than I had thought it would be. There is nothing overly graphic, it is more the power of suggestion. Also, mention of previous torture and rape. Don't worry, next chapter will be more light-hearted and don't forget to check out my new fic Peas in a Pod for some cute little Ianto and Lyn stories- a little fluff to take the angst edge away.**

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The sting of the leather whip as it came crashing down on Jack's back was met by silence. His back was too numb from the number of lashings he had received from the Master that the pain merely jolted Jack out of his memories. He had remembered the first time the Master had done this to him, back on the Valiant. Jack would always keep quiet during the time he was tortured, sometimes leaving him just on the brink of life so he could feel the pain of each wound healing as his body righted itself. He would never give the Time Lord the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, plead, and beg for the pain to stop. When he found himself chained to the wall afterwards and he was left all alone, he would let himself collapse to the will of his emotions and bury himself in the memories of one particular person. He never cried for Ianto out loud, even though he missed the sound of Ianto's name being spoken loudly. He knew if he ever said Ianto's name, the Master would find him and make him pay, just because he was another link that made Jack feel just that little bit more human.

However, Ianto was far from Jack's mind at this current time. As far as he was concerned, he never wanted to hear that name again. To have seen him in the arms of a stranger, a beautiful stranger who had no ties to the destruction and death Torchwood brought to the lives of its workers, Jack had been met with a thought he never wished to entertain. He was being selfish, he knew that; Ianto had so little time on this plain of existence, whilst the immortal Captain had the rest of eternity to play out a thousand dreams, a thousand ideas and watch as it was taken away from him by death and decay. Why should he keep this young man away from the life he deserved? He watched how Gwen and Rhys were together and felt ever so jealous. Not jealous that Rhys had Gwen, he had never wanted to be with Gwen like that, but of the life the two of them had and the life he knew he could never have with his beloved Welshman.

'Stopped singing for me, have you freak?' The Master laughed above him as he cracked the whip down harder onto the Captain's back. He watched as Jack tried to crawl away from the Time Lord, so he kicked him in the ribs for good measure and then pulled the face of the Captain to him. 'You were never a screamer, where you? Well, except for that one time.' The glint in the Master's eyes shook Jack to the very core of his being.

'Don't...please,' Jack managed to stutter as the tears began to prick at his eyes. He thought he could survive anything; he had used the Fear Facilitator to escape from the world that had seemed to have changed so much after he has escaped from the Hell he was sent to. He was prepared to go through anything to feel anything but the emotional pain Ianto had given him, but this went further than he had ever thought. Jack never wanted to think of that night again, when the Time Lord had walked up to him late one night, drunk and angry. Jack never wanted to think again about how the Master had raped him with such malice, such vitriol that he never thought it was possible from any species. And yet, that was the only thing flooding his mind at the current moment.

'Why not, freak?' Jack shuddered as he felt the Master's tongue travel up his neck and rest on his ear. He flinched as his ear was bitten with sharp teeth and Jack was certain there would be blood. 'You deserve this.' Jack tried one final time to squirm away from the tight grip of the Master's fingers in his hair, only to be pulled along the floor, past the workstations and into a new room that didn't belong to the Hub. Through watery eyes, Jack could just make out the few artefacts lying around; he could see and old oak dresser, a long mirror and a double bed with red satin sheets. He knew this room...it was Ianto's room.

'Please, don't.' Jack was almost frantic, but the wounds the Time Lord had inflicted on him earlier had left him weak and drained. He felt himself being dragged roughly onto the bed, the satin sheets providing little comfort. 'Anywhere but here.' His voice was barely a whisper as the Master's hands pinned Jack to the bed.

'For God sake Jack, stop this.' Jack was able to turn his head slightly so he could see Michael standing to his side. The man looked down at his friend with a look of horror and bewilderment. 'Stop doing this to yourself. What do you think you're achieving by bringing up the past when you know this whole thing, this whole reason why you're here, is because of the present and the future you don't want to face.' Michael searched his friend's face for any kind of answer; of all the things Michael had seen at his time at Torchwood and all the things Jack had told him those nights he was in Cardiff, this was something he could never hope to understand. The mind of Captain Jack Harkness was a strange and mysterious thing, if not extremely troubled by everything he had seen throughout the years and years he had been alive.

'This hurts less,' Jack was able to utter before he turned away from his friend. He was lying and he knew there was no way he was going to convince Michael with that lie. But Jack knew that some of what he had said had been true; physical pain was indeed hurting less than the emotional pain. He believed that, even when he felt the Master above him begin to re-enact that night he thought he had buried away for good. He believed it all as he sobbed deeply into the pillow below him.

*****

'So that device makes you face your fears?' Lyn was trying desperately to catch up, taking in Tosh's every word when they had left Owen and Ianto in the medical lab. The two women now stood by one of the stations as Tosh tapped in a few pieces of information she had collected onto the screen.

'That's what Jack said,' Tosh sighed as she placed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. 'He said the only way to wake up was to face all of your fears. But with everything that Jack has seen in his lifetime, there's no way of knowing if he will ever wake up.' She sniffed slightly as she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. She was comforted by Lyn's hand on her shoulder and the smile the women gave her. She turned to face her screen as she watched various pieces of data dance along her screen, hopelessly searching for anything that would give her some kind of comfort.

'It doesn't look good, does it?' Lyn looked down at the medical lab, barely seeing the top of Ianto's head as he moved towards Jack's lifeless body. Not one hour ago, she was walking down to the Bay to meet Ianto. She had spent the morning on the phone to clients and analysing bland carpet samples her client was adamant they use. What was the point of hiring an interior decorator when your client was firm and defiant about their choices? That didn't matter anymore, now that she found herself in a top secret government base trying to help her dearest friend get his partner back from a forced coma cause by alien technology. Any other person, it might have been too much. But Lyn had lived in Cardiff all of her life and had seen all manner of things growing up. She didn't have any questions really, this whole place had answered any that she had to begin with.

'Don't suppose you have some kind of alien gizmo where you can get into Jack's brain?' Lyn laughed nervously as she felt totally useless and hoped Tosh wouldn't snap back at her, yelling it wasn't the time for jokes. What Lyn didn't expect was Tosh to go almost rigid, not with anger, but in thought. Lyn could almost see the cogs in Tosh's mind whirl and gather steam. Neither did she expect the sudden laugh that came from the woman in front of her and the sudden movement as she headed back down into the medical lab. All she could do was watch as Tosh drew the attention of the two men below her.

'I think I have an idea of how to get Jack back.' Tosh smiled as she flew gracefully down the stairs, Lyn finally finding her feet and following the young Asian woman. She didn't know how well it would work, but it had worked for Tommy, why couldn't it work for Jack? However, before anyone could speak, a single sobbed cry came from the lips of the body lying on the examination table. It was barely a whisper, but it was very much audible and very much recognised as a plea.

'Ianto.'

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**Okay, evil I know. But virtual cookies to the person who thinks the know what Tosh has thought of. Reminder, this has happened after To the Last Man, that is why Tommy is mentioned. Catch you sopn :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry all for the late update, no excuse apart from the muses disappeared and left me all alone. But still, update now so I hope you like. Also, congrats to HuckingHarkness and Galadriel1010 for guessing what happens next.**

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'Ianto.' The silent sob of the Captain sent everyone rushing towards him, Ianto himself always at the front. Owen checked Jack's vital signs as Jack began to whimper and shake on the table. His eyes still closed, the sobs grew in Jack's throat as he was pulled further into the nightmares of his own mind. The medical bay was alive with energy, but none of it was immensely helpful; Jack still thrashed against the horrors of his mind whilst Owen stared at the screens with a blank look, void of any indication that he knew what was happening.

'Jack?' Ianto took hold of Jack's shoulders once again; the feel of Jack's shaking form under his touch caused tears to form instantly in his eyes. How he needed so much to stare into the deep blue eyes of his Captain again, he wasn't ready to give him up, not now; not now there was so much that still needed to be said. 'Jack, it's me. I'm here, Jack.' He placed a hand to Jack's cheek and was emotionally punched in the stomach as his partner turned away from the touch, like acid had been poured onto his face. His stomach churned and he felt the bile rise in his throat as his further attempts to comfort Jack prompted the same response. Ianto tried to brush away the hair from Jack's face, but the comatose figure beneath him battered him away with a panicked and distressed cry. From time to time, Ianto's name still escaped from Jack's lips but any comfort was brushed away harshly, as if Jack craved for his Welshman but felt unworthy of his comfort.

'Ianto, mate.' Owen stepped in when Jack had accidently ripped the wires from his chest. 'Step back for a bit. His heart rate is elevated and...well...'

'You think I'm doing this?' Ianto couldn't help but raise his voice. The sensible part of his mind was arguing that Owen was only doing his job and trying to understand Jack's current state further. However, the protective nature of his character flared and clouded his judgement. What did Owen know? Owen didn't know how Jack would wake in the middle of the night, thrashing between the sheets and screaming out to escape the images of his mind. Owen didn't know how Ianto had had to straddle Jack's hips to keep him steady, preventing him from falling out of bed and injuring himself. Owen didn't know Jack only settled down when Ianto sung to him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he held Jack tightly to him. Owen would never know and that's how Ianto liked it.

'I'm just suggesting that we all just back off.' Trying to keep calm, he held onto Ianto's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He didn't understand Ianto and Jack's relationship, neither did he particularly want to, but what he could understand was Ianto's subconscious desire to protect Jack, no matter what. Owen had felt the same way when Katie was... he shook his head clear of the memory and turned back to look at his colleague. 'Whatever Jack's mind is creating, it's causing his internal organs to go to shit and, even if he could hear you, I don't think the sound of your voice is providing any kind of comfort.' Owen didn't want to admit that Jack was probably visualising Ianto shagging Lyn into next week, so he put on his best bed side manner he learnt from his days in the normal medical field.

'Okay,' Ianto said softly as he gave Owen a sad smile. He didn't want to admit that he thought Owen was right, but the smile between the two men was confirmation enough that they understood each other. He looked up to the two women who had entered the medical lab and smiled at Lyn. He was mesmerised by her, not in a sexual way, he hadn't done that since he was fourteen. He was mesmerised by the way she was seemingly coping with everything; she had followed him into the world he wanted to keep away from his loved ones and had merely acknowledged it all without a seconds thought. Now she knew _everything _about him, he felt a calm assurance wash over him and, if it had not been for Jack lying unconscious on the table fighting his worst fears, he would say the Universe had finally cut him the break he so craved for.

'Tosh,' Owen broke the silence as he looked towards her. 'Did you say you got something?' He wasn't surprised that it was Tosh who would find the possible answer, she always did. He would never admit it, but he always thought Tosh appeared more striking when she had the glimmer of knowledge shinning in her eyes. The way she would smile, the way her fingers flew across the keyboard, he would never admit that he always felt slightly turned on when he saw it.

'Well,' Tosh began as she cleared her throat. 'Actually Lyn had the answer all along.' The two men turned to face her and Tosh couldn't help feel the pang of jealousy hit her stomach as Owen turned to the stranger and gave her a smile. Clearing her throat again, she drew the focus back onto her. 'We go into Jack's mind.' Owen expected more from that sentence, but was surprised when he was met with silence and watched as Tosh began to type away on her PDA.

'And we do that how?' Ianto finally spoke as he searched for an answer in Tosh's eyes. He noticed Lyn stepping next to him as she looked to her friend for some kind of answer.

'Wait, going into people's minds?' Lyn couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she looked around the room. 'Look Tosh, I was only joking around when I said that. I wasn't expecting you to profess it to the masses. I know you guys deal with the weird, judging from what I've seen, but you're talking about entering someone's mind. Is that even possible?'

The cogs in Owen's mind began to whirl and he suddenly found himself on par with Tosh's thoughts. 'Tommy,' was the only thing he could say before he started fishing through his equipment with the speed of madman on a mission. He missed the look of confusion on Ianto's face and was only brought out of his work when the young Welshman cleared his throat and shouted.

'Owen, Tosh. What the hell are you two thinking?' Ianto looked between Tosh and Owen as they both looked up from their work. Ianto had finally reached his limit and refused to let either one of them continue their work until he told them what they were planning.

'The other week, remember, Tommy.' Tosh stopped suddenly, Tommy's name still feeling bitter on her tongue as she thought back to what he had done to save them, and how she had sent him back to die in 1918 to save the present day.

'Psychic projection,' Owen merely said as he extracted the blood sample of Captain Jack Harkness from the fridge. He elaborated as he looked at the confused stares of Ianto and Lyn. 'We sent a psychic projection of Tosh into Tommy's mind so he could use the Rift key. If we send a projection of one of us into Jack's mind, maybe we can pull him out of this state and get him back to reality.'

'You can do that?' Lyn stared at the people around her in wonder; they could appear in people's heads? She dreaded to think what else they did in their little Bat Cave below the streets of Cardiff, but if there was a chance it was going to save Jack, she was quite happy to go along with it. Even though she felt like a by-stander, she couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of pride as she realised her quirky remark had set these events into motion.

'It won't work,' Ianto said bluntly as he looked around at the blank faces of his teammates. Remembering back to that day, he remembered almost exactly what Owen had said and damned his immense memory. 'You used the Rift to your advantage; it was spewing out energy for you to send that image of Tosh back to 1918. What energy is there for you to use this time. It might not work.' He didn't want to say it, but he knew deep down that Torchwood very rarely gave its employees a break, why would it now?

'Not so,' Tosh said as she scanned the Fear Facilitator Jack held tightly in his hand. 'The artefact still has traces of Rift energy when it fell through, we can use it to power the projection. Plus, we know exactly where Jack is. If I can capture a copy of Jack's brainwaves, I can load the system with enough data to send you right into his mind.' Tosh straightened as she realised what she had said; she had automatically assumed that Ianto would be the one to be projected into Jack's mind. She turned to face the young man as the words reached his ears as well.

'I...I don't...I mean, would he want...' Ianto couldn't even finish his sentence; would Jack want to see Ianto in his mind? Owen and Tosh looked towards Ianto with almost the same thought in their minds. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but after what they had seen before Jack had used the Fear Facilitator, the thought couldn't help but cross their mind. They had both seen the friendship Ianto and Lyn had, but Jack had only seen the potential, the relationship that never was and that was what concerned the two other members of the team.

'Look, mate.' Owen was the first to step in, hoping he could draw a fast resolution from this. 'I don't know whether Jack will listen to you or not, but all I know is that you are the only person who could reach him. You saved him once, you can do it again.' Owen watched as Ianto bowed his head, almost ashamed and scared he was the person the rest of the team were forging their hopes on to bring back their leader.

'Owen,' Tosh started, unsure as to where her sentence was going to lead her. She couldn't look Ianto in the eye as she continued. 'Jack thinks Ianto is with Lyn. You really think he would listen?' She bowed her head as the three members of Torchwood bowed their heads in mild defeat. They only had one shot at bringing Jack back from the Hell he was in and they were placing their bets solely on the hope Jack would except Ianto's explanation and realise it was all a misunderstanding. None of them were ready for the voice to come out of the silence.

'Let me do it,' Lyn said calmly.

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**Oooh, cliffy ending. More soon...**


	20. Chapter 20

Jack wasn't listening; Jack refused to listen to the words of his friend as he drew the material of the bed sheet closer to his face, hoping that his brain would conjure the smell of Ianto for just a second. That was all he needed, just one more second, one more sniff of his unique smell and he would be rid of him for good. The Master had long since vanished, his pleasure complete, he had left Jack bleeding and near to death on the bed of his lover. Jack's eyes had been so tightly closed throughout the whole ordeal, he wasn't even aware of the changes around him. Jack clung to the material of the bed beneath him as his mind changed the landscape he dwelled in; the Master had left, Michael had returned and the room now existed in a state of limbo, darkness encompassing the small bed Jack had shared with Ianto that very morning. Was it still the same day? Jack had no idea of how much time had actually passed for the others. He knew they would no doubt be running around and pulling out all the stops to bring back their fallen leader. Would Ianto be there or would he be too busy in the bed of the woman he had seen on the CCTV camera?

'Ianto.' Jack hated himself for letting the name slip from his lips, although he clung to the bed sheets tighter as he pulled them under his chin.

'Something must have scared you so bad that you flee to your nightmares for comfort.' Michael sighed as he looked down at his friend; the broken shell in front of him was not Captain Jack Harkness. Michael looked over the battered and bloody body of his friend, flinching at the damage he couldn't help but see that the Master had inflicted on him sexually. Jack was bleeding badly but, in the world of his memories, the blood merely flowed into nothingness, disappearing as soon as it appeared, not even staining the bedding beneath him. Michael could simply watch as Jack tried to cover himself with the sheets, perhaps to cover his modesty. However, Michael knew Jack was definitely not a man to feel ashamed at his nakedness and Michael considered it was Jack's subconscious attempt to surround himself with anything that reminded him of his only comfort.

'Ianto,' Michael managed to hear escape from Jack's lips. Michael only knew as much as Jack wanted him to, but he could feel the pain and love that radiated from the Captain's mind. He was as troubled as Jack; on the one hand, he could feel the immense love and passion the immortal had for this strange Welshman Michael couldn't see, but then on the other hand, the pain of losing this man to someone else took over any and all thoughts in Jack's mind. Michael knew he would never fully understand, Jack wasn't letting him in far enough, but he knew how Jack truly felt and maybe this was the sole reason for Jack's decision to incarcerate himself in his nightmares.

'Jack, you can't hide away from your feelings in here,' Michael spoke softly as he tried to gain some form of eye contact with his charge. He was supposed to be Jack's Clarence and he wasn't about to give up just because Jack was having a severe case of the green eyed monster. 'You need to go back and figure this out for yourself. I know you went through Hell and had to kill this Ianto of yours when you were there,' Michael flinched slightly as Jack stared straight at him, silently ordering him to drop the subject before he dug himself further into a pit of darkness. 'Thing is, Jack, I reckon you can't stand to let him go because you're afraid you'll be left alone.'

'Leave me alone,' Jack muttered as he turned away from Michael. 'I'm here to forget, don't bring up anything else.' This was a place of penance, a place of torture. When he had been sent to Hell, he had suffered terribly and he had hated it. He remembered being frozen with fear at his actions there, killing Gwen, sending Ianto to Hell and not being there to save Tosh and Owen from that car crash. He had been ripped to pieces by the creature of his nightmares and had lived through the loneliness of many apocalypses brought upon the earth.

But what had frightened him the most was that his nightmares were more of a reality than the world he actually lived in. He would lose the people he cared for, the people he loved. Jack knew that one day, he would be all alone in the darkness, living for eternity as everything around him died and left him all alone to face the darkness, to face the uncertainty of an everlasting future. Jack remembered being with the Doctor and seeing the end of the Universe; he couldn't help but wonder then if he was still alive in that time and whether, if the rest of civilisation escaped the end of the Universe, would he be left all alone to watch the collapse of reality itself? He shuddered under the covers as he realised the unthinkable; the true reality was here inside his mind, the world outside was merely a cover to hide all the pain and loneliness that would follow, and Jack hated it.

*****

'What?' Owen started as he looked across to the young woman.

'I said let me try it.' Lyn wasn't sure how many times she would have to repeat the sentence until one of the people in front of her would take her seriously. Although she couldn't really blame them, she wasn't even sure what she was doing. Here she was putting herself forward to use some weird alien technology to save her friend's boyfriend, when she should really have been calling some rich old bat who wasn't happy with the layout of her new living room.

'Lyn, I don't think...' Ianto started but couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He trusted Lyn with his life, but with Jack's life? He crossed the room and took Lyn's hands in his. Steadying himself, he was finally able to continue. 'I mean, we only get one shot at this. If Jack saw you with me...'

'He'll think I've been sleeping with you?' He had hoped Lyn would have been more subtly and perhaps have used another remark for her witty retort. However, he knew that Jack had no doubt thought that when he used the Fear Facilitator and Ianto couldn't help but bow his head in shame. 'Listen, if I talk to him or whatever I can do when I go into his mind, he won't be expecting a vision of me telling him that you only have eyes for him.' Ianto looked up briefly to catch the smile in his friend's eyes.

'Ianto, it could work,' Owen began as he gathered together the relevant equipment needed to put their plan into action. 'Any image of you, me or Tosh could lead him to think his mind is creating the image to torment him. If he heard it from the horse's mouth, no offense,' he turned to Lyn, hoping not to piss off the only hope they had to bring Jack back. 'It might just be enough to make him think otherwise and create a way for him to come back.'

'If you can get him to think even slightly that what you say is true,' Tosh took over, fiddling again with her PDA. 'Then maybe I could hook onto the exaggerated brainwaves the device creates and bring him back. It worked the first time we drew Jack out of Hell.'

'Hell?' Lyn looked around for some kind of answer, but eventually gave up. She merely assumed it was another one of the Torchwood adventures and one that she would probably never hear of, unless Ianto got drunk again and blabbed everything just because she knew now who he actually worked for.

'You can do that?' Ianto looked up to Tosh, the joy in his voice at this news was detectable by all in the room.

'I was able to lock onto the particles that Jefferson used to send people to Hell with, now we have a clear location for Jack and the Rift energy emitting from the device, it should help if Lyn isn't able to bring Jack out of this completely. Don't forget, we only get a few minutes to do this.'

'So not too much pressure then,' Lyn laughed nervously as she watched Owen preparing the equipment. God, what the hell had she gotten herself into?

'Wait,' Ianto almost shouted as he made Lyn face him. 'I can't ask you to do this. You shouldn't have to come into my world and see who I truly am. I didn't want this to happen, you were the only thing left that Torchwood didn't have hold of and now I'm just giving you away to it.' Lyn could see the tears begin to form in her friend's eyes as she kissed his cheek lightly.

'Torchwood or no Torchwood, you think I could stand back and watch my closest friend lose the man he...the man he cares for.' She was careful about the words she chose, seeing that even Ianto wasn't sure how to classify the relationship he had with Jack. 'If I can, I'd move Heaven and earth to make you happy.' Lyn had the breath squeezed out of her as she was enveloped in a large hug from Ianto. She took comfort in his arms as she breathed in Ianto's sent. But she knew she was too late; this man's heart belonged to another, someone that wasn't her. She accepted that, she really did. She knew she had had her chance back when they were young and a nervous Ianto had taken her out on a date that had resulted in a takeaway bag of chips as they sat underneath a tree in the pouring rain. She knew that if she could get this Jack back to Ianto, then she would make her dearest friend very happy and that was all she craved.

'Right,' Owen coughed, actually sad that he had to interrupt the current touching moment occurring in the Hub. He waved the wires at Lyn and tried to give an encouraging smile. 'Let's get this party started.'

*****

'Jack, please,' Michael was desperate now as he felt himself floating further and further away from his friend. Jack was pushing him away, content in wallowing in the loneliness he was manifesting around him. He screamed and shouted Jack's name, but with little effect as Jack buried himself further into the sheets, blocking out everything around him. Michael only stared as he faded away, his final words echoing on the wind.

'God help you, Captain Jack Harkness.'

* * *

**So, this story had about five or six more chapters left (I need to put a limit on this story before it grows beyond measure) so they will hopefully be put up in the next few weeks. Hopefully a new drabble for Peas in a Pod will be up tomorrow as well, so don't forget to check that out for little Ianto and little Lyn growing up together. A little fluff is always good.**


	21. Chapter 21

'Is this going to hurt?' Lyn couldn't help put stare at the array of items Owen had placed onto the table in front of them. She was scared, of course she was; what if she wouldn't be able to get Jack to listen to her, why would he want to listen to her? It was fair to say that her anxieties were finally drawing themselves to the surface and she was suddenly wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. But then would she ever forgive herself if she failed her best friend?

'Do you want the truth?' Owen's voice interrupted her thoughts as he fiddled with the wires on the headpiece he was adjusting for Lyn's head. He had only met Lyn not half an hour ago, but he knew there was no way he would be able to lie to her. Although he had never used the equipment himself, his mind flashed back to when Tosh had used it the other week. He remembered her passing out almost instantly and the sharp intake of breath when she woke up, swallowing down gulps of oxygen to get her system back to working order. It reminded him of seeing Jack come back to life, the urgent need for the body to take in the life giving gas. What was it like? He tried to shake off the thoughts as he turned to face Lyn, a disgruntled and agitated Ianto standing close to his friend.

'I'll take that as a yes then,' Lyn managed to let out a shaky laugh as she took a seat in the metal chair Tosh had brought into the room. She turned to face Ianto as he took hold of her shoulder. She stroked his hand and gave him a warm smile. 'I'll be fine, I promise. I'm going to get him back.'

'It should be me in that chair,' Ianto said as he looked deep into Lyn's eyes. 'You shouldn't be involved in any of this. I didn't want you to...'

'Look,' Lyn interrupted him, placing a finger to his lips. 'I'm the one who ran after you when you left the pub. I followed you and Tosh here and I didn't leave in a fit of panic when I saw the inside of this place. I got myself involved in this. Not because of you, but for you. You and Jack.' She felt a tear fall down her cheek and cursed herself internally for being ruled by her emotions at a time when she had to be strong. She closed her eyes as Ianto bowed his head and kissed her forehead, feeling the love and friendship they had kept for nearly twenty years.

'I love you,' Ianto murmured into her hair. He meant it; Lyn had been the only thing constant in his life and he owed her his love, even though he knew he had no future with her. They were friends, just friends. He had seen too many of his friends fall in love or marry each other, only to result in a quick divorce or a monumental break up several months later. Jack had his heart, undoubtedly, so he rationalised that Lyn would have his life, his love of life outside of Torchwood. It was the least he could give her.

'I'm entering Jack's brainwaves into the PDA,' Tosh said as she pressed several buttons on her hand held device, trying to make herself useful. She wasn't entirely certain that this would work. She had only said locking on to Jack's thought patterns could help bring him back to make Lyn feel better. Tosh had been able to lock onto the Hueon particles that had sent Jack to Hell because it was an actual being, a thing she could lock onto. With Jack's brainwaves though, they fluctuated and spew out different data each time it would be impossible for her to get a firm lock on them. Truth was, it all depended on the young woman she had only just met to bring Jack out of his state, making it possible for Tosh to calibrate Jack's resurrection from the device. That was the reason she couldn't look Lyn in the eye. 'Also, the device should lose power when Jack detaches himself from it, so any power drain should give me a clear indication of what is happening.'

'Then let's do it,' Lyn stated as she looked to Owen to begin everything. She watched as the medic walked towards her and placed the headpiece on her. She tried to control her breathing as Owen readied the injection of Jack's blood and prepared her arm.

'Remember, you've got a few minutes at the most.' Owen didn't want to scare her, but he knew that she needed to know exactly what was going to happen.

'Lyn, promise me,' Ianto began as he looked down into his friend's deep brown eyes. 'If you can't get Jack back, make sure you come back to me. I can't lose both of you.' He tried to keep the sob buried deep in his throat, but it managed to hitch the pitch of his voice at the end as he stared at Lyn with teary eyes.

'We're both coming back,' she said firmly as she took one final glimpse of Jack, now lying on his side and silently sobbing in his comatose state. She turned to Owen and gave a nod, feeling the needle prick her skin.

She didn't feel anything after that as the world around her turned black and silent.

*****

Jack Harkness lived in a world of shadows, a world of voices that would haunt him for eternity. As he lay curled up on the ground, was it the ground- Jack couldn't remember anymore. He had no idea if he was on the floor, the wall; the world around him lay dark and desolate, without any indication of exact space or time. He was alone and that, Jack knew, would happen eventually, whether he was here or back in the real world. He would lose them all; Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Gwen, The Doctor. They would all die and he would be there to see it all. He would be there and go on, all alone. At least, this way, he wouldn't have to go through the pain and heartache of seeing them die, being snatched away from him and being plunged into the darkness of the afterlife. He finally understood why the Hell dimension he had been sent to had manifested a similar environment; it was not his fears, but his future.

_All alone, Jack. All alone with no one to save you. _The voice had been singular at first, but then had become two voices, then five, and then ten until it multiplied to such a level that he began drowning in them. He could almost feel them choking him as they poured into ever molecule of his being. He knew the voices were right and that was the reason he never fought back. Never fighting back would mean he would be locked in this world forever and Jack consented to it. So much so that he was almost unaware of the new voice that had come.

'Jack? Jack?' The voices around him began to fade as a single female voice called his name. He didn't understand; who could it be and why would they be so keen to talk to him? Suddenly, a wavy outline of a human form began to form in front of him, slowly turning from translucent to opaque as the form shaped itself into a young woman, her eyes darting from left to right, uncertain of her place within this fabricated world.

' Jack?' The voice grew lighter, clearer as the being suddenly became solid, allowing Jack to catch a clear view of her.

*****

'Jack? Jack?' Lyn shouted the name as loud as she could, not bothering whether the world she had left behind could hear her or not. She wasn't entirely certain herself whether she was speaking, the world around her had remained dark ever since she passed out and she was worried that it might not have worked. She had promised Ianto that she would be okay and that Jack would come back to him. There was no way she was leaving this limbo state without a good looking man.

As if on cue of her wish, the figure of a lonely man began to form in front of her; he was crouched down low, his head bowed but Lyn could recognise him straight away; the blue shirt, the red braces and the dark brown hair were clear indications that she had found the man she was after. She let out a small laugh at her triumph and tried to press on further, knowing she only had a few minute.

'Jack?' She tried to edge closer to him, but when he raised his head, she almost stumbled over her feet. The man in front of her was dishevelled, eyes red from crying and a ghostly pale hovering over his face. The man had now raised his head fully to look at her and, without warning he...

*****

'Jack?' Ianto let out a shaky sigh as Lyn whispered his lover's name, knowing that she had found him. He was happy, relieved and giddy with the thought that Jack would be back soon. He couldn't help but grin like mad at Tosh and Owen, who in turn were sporting the same smile.

But it didn't last for long, as the body of Captain Jack Harkness sat bolt upright on the table and screamed in absolute terror.


	22. Chapter 22

'Ianto, get your arse in gear and help me,' Owen shouted at his friend, who was frantically trying to keep Jack from ripping off the wires on his chest during his convulsion. Gripping tightly onto his wrists, Owen tried to pin Jack to the table, but was knocked back by the force of Jack's terror rising up from his entire being. Jack wasn't just scared, he was terrified; whatever he was seeing was by far much worse than anything that had come before, his face contorted into a pained shadow of the man that once was.

'She shouldn't have gone,' Ianto was able to force out from behind his lips as he stared at his lover, the only sound he had been able to make since their retrieval mission decided to take a gigantic turn for the worst. 'We've got to stop this.' Still glued to the spot, he watched as Jack's spasm continued to wrack his body, Owen barely able to get the straps over Jack's body to prevent him doing any more damage to himself.

'Ianto...' Tosh barely spoke as she looked across to Lyn and felt her throat close, preventing her from speaking. The two men in the room looked back towards their lifeline to Jack's mind and were both taken aback by what they saw; Lyn sat in the chair, her hands gripping tightly to the arms of the chair as she shook, her vibrations making the chair underneath her shake and clatter on the cold tiles of the medical lab floor. Her eyes were moving rapidly behind her eyes and her rapid breath echoing around the Hub. She was caught in the very nightmare Jack was inflicting on himself and was suffering side by side with Jack.

Ianto's was falling apart as he saw his entire world crumbling in front of him.

*****

All Jack could do was scream. It was her; the woman he had seen with Ianto on the CCTV, the woman he had watched latch her arms around his lover and draw him into a large and comforting hug, one that he knew he would never be able to fully give his Welshman. He could see her so clearly in front of the backdrop of darkness. She was so beautiful; her brown hair cascaded down over her shoulders, framing her small face and those round and bright brown eyes. His eye travelled further down her body and saw a slender figure under a smart white shirt and black skirt, what was there not to like about her? Jack could see the appeal very quickly, he himself thinking she would be a catch to him if they had met under any other circumstances. But this woman had tagged his young lover and, as he stared into those deep brown eyes, the world around him changed as he plunged the both of them into his true vision of Hell.

*****

She had no idea what to do. She wasn't a psychiatrist or an agony aunt, what expertise did she have to talk this man out of a life of torment? Now he was screaming and she could neither approach him, telling him everything was going to be okay or run for the hills. Instead, all she did was stand and let the screams wash over her as she took in her surroundings. She knew she only had a few minutes to talk to Jack, but she really didn't fancy a one sided argument that would mostly be drowned out by the howls of the man in front of her.

Suddenly, the world around her changed; the eternal darkness began to be peppered by small lights. She watched as the twinkling specks of light danced between her and Jack, before joining together and circling the both of them. As she watched, she began to grow dizzy and so tried to focus on Jack, calling his name time and time again, hoping that he would listen to her.

'Jack, for God sake, I'm here to help you.' Lyn shouted and forced herself to stand her ground as the Captain sprung into life and scrabbled onto his knees, facing her with a look of loss and confusion. Lyn began to wonder whether she was getting to Jack and whether he was snapping out of his state to listen to her. She was about to speak again when images and voices began to form around the walls surrounding them.

_'Being here, I've seen things I never dreamt I'd see.' Jack was sat at his desk, Ianto perching himself on the desk next to him. 'Loved people I never would have known if I'd just stayed where I was.' Ianto looked down at those words, not wanting to look at Jack when he talked about love and trying to keep himself from saying those three little words himself._

Lyn watched the image and felt her jaw drop as the two men kissed, loosing themselves in each other as they deepened the kiss and pawed at each other's bodies. The images began to multiply and Lyn knew what she was seeing. Jack asking Ianto out on a date, the stopwatch incident, the argument they had on their second date and the make-up sex the same night, Lyn was watching them all. Slowly pulling her vision from the flickering pictures being played across the walls, she looked down at Jack. The Captain still on his hands and knees, he too was engrossed by the images being played out again and Lyn was able to observe a flicker of happiness cross the man's face. But it didn't last long; in what seemed like a fraction of a second, Jack flinched and sat down as his eyes watered over and the howls of pain threatened to spring forth from his throat once more

Lyn turned her gaze to the walls and took a sharp intake of breath.

_'Staying here, I've seen things I never thought I'd see,' Ianto sat at a kitchen table, his finger entwining with Lyn's as she sat on the edge, looking down at her fiancé. 'I never would have fallen in love with you if I'd just stayed at Torchwood.' _

She looked in horror as the image played out in front of her; Lyn bent her head forward and met Ianto's lips with her own, caressing his face as his rose from the table and picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom. Lyn watched in horror as the other images changed to include her instead of Jack. She watched with a hand across her mouth as she saw Ianto and herself getting married, getting pregnant and having children, growing old together and finally living out their final years in a small cottage somewhere in the countryside.

'You can give him that if I let him go now.' Lyn was startled as the small voice reached her ears. She turned slowly and looked down at the figure of the broken man Ianto loved. His eyes were again puffy and red, still full of unshed tears as he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly. She felt her own tears begin to fall down her cheek, unable to keep them at bay anymore as she crouched down to face the man eye to eye.

'Oh God, Jack.' Lyn considered resting her hand on his shoulder, but though again about attempting physical contact just yet. 'I don't want that. I've never wanted that. Not with Ianto.' She watched carefully as the man in front of her began to raise his eyes to her, a look of uncertainty crossing his brow as he took in this new information.

'E-e-everyone leaves m-m-me in the end,' Jack stuttered as he hugged his legs tighter to his chest. 'Friends, companions...lovers. They always get torn away from me too soon.' It was true; Jack just couldn't take anymore loss in his life. Death always took them away from him, whether it was old age or death by Torchwood. He knew Ianto wouldn't be with him forever, no matter how much he wanted him to be. Even Estelle had not come near to Ianto; the young man knew so much about Jack and yet knew so little about him at the same time. God, how Jack had wanted to share everything with him sometimes, not having to put across the tough exterior he wore so well all the time. Yet, Ianto always seemed to be able to look beyond that, scarping away the surface to find the heart.

'Jack, listen to me.' Lyn gained an eye line with Jack and seized it instantly to stare straight into his soul. 'Ianto is yours, he only has eyes for you. Don't think for one second he could look at me the way he does you. I know how you feel, because it's exactly the same as I feel for him.' Jack's eyes burrowed deep into Lyn's and she put all her effort not to flinch under the stare. 'You have a chance with him, a chance to make each other so happy. You think he would look at anyone else when he's got you?' Lyn tried to lift her sentence at the end, hoping to entice a laugh from Jack and giving her an indication that she was getting through to him.

'Everyone leaves me in the end,' Jack repeated as the images continued to play along the walls of his confine. If Jack would not lose Ianto to another, he knew he would no doubt lose him to Torchwood and the death that always threatened him every time the Rift alarm sounded. 'He's the only one who...he understands me. I can't lose him...' The tears began to fall again and Lyn suddenly understood everything. Tosh's vague explanation of how the Fear Facilitator focused the victim's deepest fears now made sense.

'You won't, Jack.' Lyn could see Jack didn't accept her sentence, but she pressed on, knowing she must only have mere seconds until she was snapped back into reality. 'Look, he won't leave you for me or for anyone. I think what really worries you is if you are good enough for him. I don't know much about you, Jack, but Ianto speaks so proudly of you. He took you back after you left for a while, he'll always be there to take you back.'

'No he won't,' Jack argued and Lyn sighed as she felt a small tug at the back of her head. She tried to fight it as she continued to look at Jack.

'Jack,' Lyn shouted and took hold of Jack's shoulders. 'Ianto is waiting for you now, worried sick he'll never be able to look into your gorgeous blue eyes again, never be held by you again, never be able to make love to you again. We all have just a short time on this Earth, why keep yourself locked in the fears of what _could_ be, when you should be me more focused on what _is_.' She smiled sadly, her tears falling still over her cheeks. 'Come back to him.'

And with that, the room began to flood with light.

* * *

**So has Lyn been able to bring Jack out of his own Hell?**


	23. Chapter 23

**I'm sorry I've not updated this last week. Went up to Cardiff for Mardi Gras and came back late Saturday night so have been kind busy this last week. But it's here now and I'm pleased to say there are only two more chapters left. Thank you to all of those who have reviewed over the course of this story. As it was the first story I've published, it was nice to have such a nice response. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the next couple of chapter as I start work on my next story and continue with 'Peas in a Pod.'**

* * *

A sharp intake of breath, the clatter of medical instruments and the movements of the three people in the lab echoed throughout the rest of the Hub. Ianto's arm was held in a vice like grip as Owen rigorously checked vital signs, giving an audible sigh of relief as everything came up normal. For the moment, the still form of the other was forgotten whilst the lab became a hive of activity. Slowly, the breathing grew steady and the eyes peered around the room until they lay onto the deep blue eyes of their beloved Ianto.

'That was weird.' Ianto couldn't help but let out a shaky laugh as he watched Lyn regain her bearings. He had gotten her back; she wouldn't become another name to add to his list of the people he had lost due to Torchwood. He had seen too many people stray from the world and be consumed by the other worldly paraphernalia that came crashing down from the sky. He fought back silent tears as he laid a hand on Lyn's shoulder and took comfort in the knowledge that she was really here. He wasn't prepared for the question she was about to ask. 'Did Jack make it?'

Jack. He felt the bile force its way up his throat as he realised he had completely forgotten about his lover. Turning away from the others, he approached the still comatose figure of Jack, now completely void of life as the convulsions from earlier had now entirely ceased. Now all that remained was the empty shell of his lover lying on the cold metal table. He had forgotten him, just for a second, but it was enough. The tears that had threatened to spring since he had left Jack just before lunch now forced themselves to the surface as he broke down, crashing to his knees and letting out loud sobs for the loss of his partner.

'I tried, Yan. I really did.' Ianto couldn't hear the cries of his friend as he sat up on his knees, threading his fingers through Jack's hair and resting his forehead on Jack's shoulders. Owen, Tosh and Lyn could only look on and watch the man in mourning grieve for his lover.

*****

_Ianto is yours; he only has eyes for you. Don't think for one second he could look at me the way he does you._

Jack stared into the darkness as the words of the woman who had vanished in front of his eyes echoed through his mind. Ianto wasn't seeing this woman, she was just an old friend. Jack was still the one Ianto came back to at the end of every working day, either laying with Jack in his quarters underneath his office or taking him back to his flat and taking him to bed. It wasn't always about sex; there would be times when Jack would hold onto Ianto when his nightmares got too bad and times when Jack had found himself in a tight embrace, cocooned in the warmth of his partner when the horrors of his life returned to plague his sleepless nights.

_He understands me. I can't lose him..._

He couldn't, he just couldn't. Not now. Things were only just getting good between them; Jack had honoured his promised date to Ianto, taking him to a movie and booking a table at a restaurant they would have gone to, had it not been for the Weevil attack they found themselves in as they exited the cinema. Instead of a three course meal and coffee for afterwards, the night had ended with three deep cuts on the chest for Ianto and definitely no chance of any 'coffee' afterwards, not with Ianto's injuries. Jack wanted another shot at it, another shot at taking Ianto out for a meal, ending the night in each other's comforting embrace as they drifted into a blissful sleep. He wanted it so much. He owed Ianto that much.

Jack looked around him as the images of his mind played across the darkness, replacing those of Lyn with Ianto. He watched as he saw himself with Ianto in a posh restaurant, making love in Ianto's bed, holding hands as they walked down by the Bay. Scenes of a domestic and ordinary life for the pair of them danced in front of Jack like an old movie as he saw himself curling up on the sofa with Ianto, doing the washing up and even having children together, watching in awe as a bright blue eyed girl giggled as her fathers tickled her and hugged her tightly as they sat on some beach, enjoying the sunshine and with the world of Torchwood far behind them.

Jack knew he would probably never see the latter image play out, but still, it didn't stop him yearning for it. Just the image of being pregnant with Ianto's child caused him to give a contented sigh as he allowed himself to float on the thoughts of a simple life with Ianto and their little girl. The little girl he knew would never be born, the little girl he knew he would never conceive. He had promised himself to never raise a child again, not after Alice was... He shook his head clear of the thought as the words of Lyn repeated themselves in his head once more.

_We all have just a short time on this Earth, why keep yourself locked in the fears of what could be, when you should be me more focused on what is._

He knew he didn't, he would live forever. But Ianto wouldn't. He was right when he told Lyn Ianto would never be with him always. One day, Jack knew he would watch as his beloved Welshman was taken away from him by some alien, or by some injury or even by some disease. Whichever way Ianto was to slip from this world, Jack knew it would hurt so much and that he would be the one to watch as his last breath escaped his lips and Ianto would forever be lost in the darkness.

_You should be me more focused on what is._

Jack realised now what she meant. Here in his mind, he kept himself away from reality, preventing himself from enjoying a life with Ianto that would most certainly be cut short. He realised now that being trapped inside his mind, he was only cutting short the time he had left with Ianto. There was no time to feel pity and grief for his partner now; he knew that time would come soon, but now he knew he had to salvage the moments he would have with Ianto. He focused on them so clearly that he became unaware of the bright light that encompassed his body. The only thing Jack felt at that time was the one word on his lips.

'Ianto.'

*****

Tosh, Owen and Lyn stood quietly as they looked towards the broken figure of Ianto Jones, neither able to bring themselves to help him as he knelt by the body of his partner. Tosh reluctantly turned her head, tears stinging her eyes as she walked slowly towards the stairs, unable to look at Jack and Ianto anymore. It tore her heart in two looking at them, knowing their love was doomed but wanting so much for something good to come out of Torchwood. She had hoped she would have the same with Owen, but the medic was oblivious to her intentions. That was Torchwood; it rid you of human emotions and focused you purposefully on the task at hand. Toshiko was so caught up with her own thoughts that she missed the information bleeping away on her PDA.

Owen could do no more than retrieve the equipment they had used for Lyn and return it to its rightful place within his domain. He wanted to lash out at something, wanted to punch and kick out his frustrations. His mind, for a fraction of a second, turned to Lyn. Why couldn't she bring Jack back? Had she even tried or was she just trying to keep Ianto to herself? He cursed himself for thinking like that, but he had just lost his leader to an alien device they had no idea how to free him from, so he argued with himself that his thoughts were indeed rational. Owen was so caught up with his thoughts that he missed the information spewing from the machines Jack was hooked up to.

Lyn didn't know where to look; she tried to stop looking at her friend as he weaved his fingers through his lover's hair. She could have done better, she knew she could have done better. Why hadn't she just smacked Jack around the head and told him Ianto loved him more than anything in the world and that he needed to snap out of it and come back to his friends and his lover? Lyn was so full of self pity that she completely missed the small sound that emanated from the body in front of her.

Ianto was sure his heart was breaking. He had not felt pain like this since Lisa and he had hoped that he would never have to experience such a pain again; but he had. Ianto was feeling like this again because he had allowed himself to fall hard for Captain Jack Harkness and he couldn't see a future for himself without him. As he rested his forehead against Jack's shoulder and allowed the tears to fall from his eyes, he foresaw a life of emptiness, without love and eventually dying in some alley due to a Weevil attack, bleeding out without someone to hold him through his final moments on this Earth. Jack was always there; he was the only thing constant in his life, Jack's immortality had seen to that. His father had died, his sister was no more than an acquaintance now and his time at Torchwood had seen so many people fall and die so soon before their time, Ianto knew he would never be able to connect fully with anyone again. Jack was the only exception, purely because Ianto knew that he would always be there, even when he was long gone and dead in the ground like so many people he had known through his short life, Ianto knew Jack would still go on and that the memory of Ianto Jones would live on in some form.

'Ianto.'

No one responded to the sound, why would they? They were all too busy in their own worlds to even comprehend what was going on in front of them.

'Ianto?' This time it was heard, just by the man sat next to him. Ianto's head had shot up and his tears changed to those of joy as he watched Jack's eyes began to flutter and then slowly open. The Fear Facilitator fell from Jack's grip and it crashed to the ground with a deafening metallic clang which brought everyone's attention to the man on the table. They watched on in awe as his eyes slowly opened as the pupils darted from left to right, trying to regain his bearings. Jack's chest rose as he took a long intake of breath and turned his head to face Ianto. No one in the area dared to even breathe as the two men locked gazes with each other.

'Jack?' Ianto raised himself from the floor as he helped Jack into a seating position, his eyes never leaving those of his Captain as he watched them fill with tears and self pity.

'Ianto...' Jack questioned what he saw in front of him. Was he really back? He looked deep into the eyes of his partner, not daring to remove his gaze from the Welshman in front of him. 'I'm sorry.' He managed to say before he felt tears falling down his cheeks.

'It's okay,' Ianto said quietly as he brushed the hair away from Jack's forehead. He couldn't believe that he was back, he was really here. 'Thank you for coming back to me.' He captured Jack's lips in a chaste kiss, letting Jack know that he was really back. Jack broke the kiss and, looking into Ianto's eyes, buried his head in Ianto's shoulder and cried.

He was back and he was home.


	24. Chapter 24

**So, here it is, the penultimate chapter to this story that I started to write a few months ago just because I personally wanted something more to come out of Jack's reaction to spending time in Hell from 'In the Shadows,' which was my favourite audio play at the time (of course, that has now been replaced by The Sin Eaters- I mean, come on, Gareth David-Lloyd could read the frigging dictionary and I would still buy it and listen to it on a loop.) Thanks to all those who have reviewed and kept with this story, it was you guys who made this story continue and not make me give up and leave it like so many projects I have going on at the moment. So please, enjoy this chapter and join me soon in the final chapter soon, which will include a preview of my next story: 'Under Your Skin'- more on that soon...**

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The Hub had become full of movement and noise when Captain Jack Harkness had risen from his slumber state and had returned to reality. Ianto and Owen both helped their leader to his feet as Tosh drew him into a large hug, subduing the tears that threatened to spring forth at any time. Owen, as always, kept himself to himself, scanning Jack for any physical or mental damage, before turning away and letting the large grin to spread across his face that he had been holding back. Owen was never one for public displays of emotions and he would be damned if the others would see him so full of joy and relief at Jack's return.

Jack's hand never left the grip of Ianto's, almost as if he was using the young Welshman as an anchor to this world, fearful he would float back into the nightmare world if he let go. When Owen had finished poking and prodding him with various medical instruments, he simply directed his glance into the deep blue pools of Ianto's eyes. He looked deep into those eyes and he knew he was home. He leant forward and caught Ianto's lips with his own in a chaste but heartfelt kiss, pulling the young man closer to him, eager to feel his body close to his. Faintly, Jack could hear the sigh of happiness from Tosh and the groan of mock disgust from Owen. He didn't care for any of them; all he cared about was that he was finally back with his Ianto.

All he could think of during the time Jack's lips teased and tasted his own, was how close he had come to losing everything. Now, as he felt Jack press further into the kiss, Ianto succumbed to the relief and pleasure that radiated off of his lover and allowed himself to slip further into the moment as he encouraged Jack by slipping his tongue into Jack's mouth, being rewarded by his lover's tongue swiping across his. So lost in the moment that Ianto was almost oblivious to the sound of the alarms signifying someone was leaving the Hub.

*****

Lyn had left them as they were; she was not needed there anymore. She had come from outside and had helped a friend in dire need. Now, she had to return to the world of curtain catalogues and tiresome meetings with colour blind clients. She wasn't upset to leave the world of Torchwood behind her; she never would, because she knew that wasn't her place. Ianto belonged there, she could see it, but she didn't. Lyn had come to her best friend's aid, even when he hadn't asked for it and she would gladly go back and do it once again. But for now, she knew she had to return to the world above them all and forget all she had seen.

Taking one last look at the people she had met not only one hour ago, she walked straight for the cog door and was startled by how quickly it revolved back and what a spectacle it performed doing such a task. _Blimey, does it do it every time someone goes in or out? _Lyn let out a small laugh as she walked through the door, giving no second look back to the world she was leaving behind as she stepped into the elevator that would take her back to the surface.

She took a deep intake of breath as the elevator reached its destination and opened its doors to the corridor that had welcomed her when she had stepped into Torchwood. She envisioned her dear friend seeking and giving comfort to his partner, the man she had seen so broken by the possibility of a future without him. She knew how he had felt at that point, she had felt it once before and hoped she would never do again. Lyn remembered when Ianto had left for London, not long after his father had died. She pleaded, begged, even prayed that he wouldn't leave her to head into the unknown alone. She would have followed him to the ends of the earth, but she had an acceptance to a top University, whilst Ianto had flunked out of most of his exams due to his father's deteriorating health. In the end, she had chosen her future career over her future with Ianto and, to this day, she had regretted it.

Walking swiftly to the front door of the Tourist Information centre that wasn't, she flung the door open and walked into the cooling air of Cardiff Bay. Extracting her pack of cigarettes from her bag, she slipped one between her lips and lit the end of the tobacco, inhaling the nicotine as she sucked on the filtered end. She let out a small trail of smoke as she walked a few feet across the boards before finally resting her elbows on the railings looking out over the Bay. The rush of the nicotine cleared her mind as she realised what she had done today; she had saved another human being's life. Smiling to herself as she drew in another drag from the cigarette, she looked out across the Bay. Oh yeah, Lyn Evans had something to be proud of today.

*****

Ianto had left his friends behind him, reassuring Jack that he would be back and that he should start getting ready for their meal at the restaurant tonight. That had the desired effect as Jack beamed at Ianto, gave him a quick kiss and headed for his office to search though the few clothes he still had remaining at the Hub. He hoped he would still find his friend in the vicinity, he couldn't let her go without even saying goodbye. As the cog door rolled back to let him out, his mind was filled with the memories of all the times Lyn had come to his aid; the first day at school, beating up Rhodri Price when he picked on Ianto when he had his braces, looking after him when he got drunk and started on the rugby team that night. She had always been there to help him and now she had come back again during his hour of need and brought back his lover from the Hell of his own mind. He at least owed her a thank you.

Ianto had been on autopilot for most of the journey to the surface and was taken aback when he saw his hand on the doorknob of the Tourist Information centre. Swallowing down the butterflies in his stomach, he swung the door open and almost cheered as he saw Lyn leaning against the railings, looking out across the Bay, lost in her own thoughts.

'Should you really be up here?' Ianto never knew how Lyn could tell he was right behind her. He smiled as he joined her, resting his elbows on the barrier as he gazed at her in amazement, pride and love.

'Jack's getting ready. We're off to dinner in a few minutes.' Ianto was amazed at how fast the time had gone; when he had ran to the Hub earlier in the day, the sun had glistened down on all of them. Now, the sun was beginning to move across the sky as it started to turn colder. 'I suppose it's only courtesy that I pay this time, after I sent him to that place.' He lowered his head, ashamed to look at Lyn as she snapped her head towards him.

'Yeah, I agree with you buying the food,' Lyn started as she took another quick drag on her cigarette. 'But I don't agree with blaming yourself for this. I don't profess to say I know everything about your Captain and I know there is a lot more than just the exterior, but all I know is that, when I was in his mind, the thing that brought him back was you and him together. That's all he wants really. He was afraid of losing it when he saw you and me together, so he tried to get away from the truth.' She finished her cigarette and snubbed it out underneath her boot. 'Although, I can think of better places to go if you're trying to escape your past. I mean, what's wrong with a weekend away in the country?' The two friends laughed as they watched the everyday lives of normal people pass them by.

After a long period of silence, Lyn broke the quietness that surrounded them with something that shook Ianto to his being. 'So, is this the part where you wipe my memory and I forget everything I've seen down there today, thinking I just had too much to drink with you this lunchtime?'

'What makes you think that?' Ianto looked in amazement at his friend, scared at the thought of using retcon on his dearest friend. Ianto had told her everything about himslf up to now, well apart from Torchwood and Jack's current immortal situation. Ianto had shared everything with her since they were five years old and now, that she had stepped into the most secret part of his world, the one even his own sister knew nothing about, could he really take those memories away from her?

'Come on, Yan.' Lyn punched him lightly in the arm and gave a nervous laugh. Ianto knew she was trying to hide her fears and he felt a cold shudder slip down his spine. 'You've seen the films, haven't you? I see the inside of a large institute that finds alien equipment and god knows what else, thereby damming me to be force fed some memory swiping pill or making me look at a pen like device that zaps your mind with a red light.'

'Don't think that's gonna be necessary,' a booming voice came from behind them as the two of them turned to look at the figure in a billowing military coat making his way towards them. Coming to a stop next to them, Jack placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder as he looked down at Lyn, a small smile forming on his face. It was the first time Lyn had seen him with such a happy look upon his face and felt tears begin to prick at her eyes. 'I think you're more than trustworthy.'

Without a moment's pause, Jack Harkness leant forward and drew Lyn into a massive hug, holding her tightly to him as he whispered into her ear. 'Thank you.' Lyn closed her eyes to prevent the tears of joy cascading down her face as she hugged Jack back. They stayed that way for a few seconds until they were broken apart by the not so subtle coughing of Ianto. Jack smiled as he entwined his hand with his lover.

'Well, it was nice to meet you...um...' Jack felt a flush of embarrassment rise up through his neck and up to his face. The women he looked at had saved him from his nightmares and had brought him back to his partner, yet he still didn't know her name. Lyn introduced herself and the two of them shook hands. 'Don't be a stranger. You are more than welcome to come by anytime.'

'I think I may have to take you up on that,' Lyn smiled at the two of them, trying to look past the look of worry on Ianto's face. 'Maybe one day.'

'Well,' Jack cleared his throat. 'If you don't mind, I have a hot date with a certain man and I would hate to disappoint him.' He turned to face his lover and beamed his signature smile.

'You could never disappoint me, Jack.' Ianto smiled as he caught Jack's lips with his own, capturing a small moment of pleasure before he felt a sharp slap to his arm.

'Oi, enough of that.' Lyn laughed as the two men drew apart and beamed at each other. 'Get gone to that restaurant and have a good night.'

'Yes, ma'am,' the two men mock saluted the woman in front of them as they walked away hand in hand across the Bay and out into the town.

_Yeah,_ Lyn thought. _They were going to be alright from now on._ She smiled to herself as she slowly began to walk back to her offices and finish off her normal day.


	25. Chapter 25

**I wish there were excuses, but there are no excuses. (well apart from the surprise lack of internet earlier this month). This should have been the easiest chapter to write, seeing as this was the last chapter, but this went through several re-writes (one which included Adam turning up as this is set almost the day before the episode) but I was never truly happy. But now, I have cracked it, plus Ive included a sneaky peak at my new fic in the making 'Under Your Skin.' Enjoy the last chapter guys, its been a great ride!**

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They had been early for their reservations, so they decided to take a detour and bask in the night air of Cardiff. Jack and Ianto, their hands still entwined, moved between the late night shoppers, the teenagers up to no good and the general hustle and bustle of everyday life. Jack's eyes lingered on a couple sitting outside of a pub, laughing and joking with each other as they clinked their wine glass together. So full of life, so lost in each other's eyes as they leant over the table to capture their lips with the others. Jack had envied them ever so slightly, observing the life he wished he could have as his grip on Ianto's hand tightened slightly.

Ianto turned to Jack when he felt his grip tighten. His eyes followed his partner's gaze and he found himself watching the couple as well, feeling the same pang in his heart. If he had been asked before whether Captain Jack Harkness would be content in a monogamous relationship with the general help of Torchwood Cardiff, he would have no doubt found the whole thing quite humorous. But that had been before Jack had left, abandoned them all in favour of his precious Doctor. Ianto had never expected him to come back to them, to him, but he was proved wrong when Jack's bullet narrowly missed his head that night they had chased the blowfish and the Captain made his heroic return. When Jack had not only returned, but then had gone on to ask Ianto out on a date, he knew that his partner had indeed changed during his time away. For the better, well, Ianto would have to wait and see. For the moment, he was happy to carry on.

'Do you reckon they'll last?' Ianto was slightly taken aback by Jack's question as his partner turned to face him, a look of curiosity fixed on his face. The seriousness behind Jack's eyes was almost tangible as he hoped for an answer from Ianto. The silence lingered whilst Ianto considered his answer; what could he really say to Jack? What was the answer he was looking for? Could Ianto say that they would last long into their old age and die together in some old cottage, or should he just say the woman was after some quick shag to bide her time between failing relationships? It took a while, but Ianto began to understand this was nothing to do with the couple; this was all about their future together. Did Jack have a future with Ianto? Would they last until Ianto's body withered and gave up on itself, whilst Jack remained the same as he had when they had first met? Ianto knew deep down that that would never happen, so he simply took a sharp intake of breath.

'I think they'll make each other happy.' He watched as Jack's face began to soften and slowly nod his head. It wasn't the answer he had wanted to hear, but it was enough for now. Jack had been trapped in his own negative thoughts all day, he let the answer wash over him and gave Ianto a sad smile, no longer dwelling on the day's events.

'Yeah, suppose so,' Jack said as he hid behind his signature smile and continued to walk on with Ianto, leaving the couple behind them as they continued on their walk. No Weevil alerts, no spaceships, no ex-lovers falling through the Rift; this was their time and Jack wanted to savour every second of it.

*****

'What was it like?' Ianto had been spinning the same piece of spaghetti on his fork for the past few minutes as he built up the courage to ask Jack the question that had been forming in his mind since Jack had returned. His eyes dropped as he saw Jack lift his head from his own meal and stare at him. Stupid, why had he asked that question? Here they were, having a nice meal in a French restaurant, enjoying the ambience of the newly opened building whilst drinking a rather pleasant bottle of red wine and Ianto wanted to know what horrors and nightmares Jack Harkness had inflicted on himself whilst being trapped in his mind.

'What do you want me to say?' Jack cursed himself for the tone he had delivered his reply. He should have known Ianto would been inquisitive, wanting to know exactly what he had been through. That was one of the things Jack both liked and hated about Ianto; he could share almost everything with Ianto. There was no hero worship or forced sympathy Gwen was insistent on giving. It wasn't really her fault, it was what she had been taught in the police force to do. He had tried to share things with Gwen when she had first joined Torchwood and, although he did care for her, he could still see the level of hero worship she would never shake off and the knowledge that she would turn away from him if she ever found out who he really was. That was what he loved about Ianto; there was no hero worship, no forced sympathy, and no questions. Ianto would listen then, usually composing himself, he would nod his head and simply hold Jack whilst the memories of his past still danced in front of his eyes.

It was also one of the things he hated about Ianto, not intentionally though. He knew Ianto simply wanted to know the man behind Captain Jack Harkness, but he knew he could never reveal him. If he did, Jack knew that he would never be able to give up Ianto Jones. How could he let the only man that was so close to understanding him pass by and leave him, either through old age or death by Torchwood?

'Doesn't matter,' Ianto muttered as he continued to play with the food in front of him, still unable to look into the deep blue eyes of his partner. He knew he had stepped over the line; he should have just kept quiet. However, his mind still longed to understand what Jack had been through. Lyn had seen a glimpse of what had happened and he suddenly became jealous of his dear friend; she had witnessed a side of Jack he knew he would never see and he felt the pang of jealousy deep inside. He almost jumped when he felt a hand lay on top of his. Ianto's head shot up as he looked into Jack's eyes, witnessing his partner's sad smile and his eyes aglow with the love he knew Jack would never be able to admit.

'How about we leave it until after the dessert? I'm just itching to feed you some of that chocolate mousse.' Jack waggled his eyebrows, which made Ianto smile, as he took his partner's hand in both of his own, bringing the knuckles gently to his lips and kissing the skin underneath. He could almost feel the wave of pleasure it was sending through Ianto's body and Jack was suddenly thinking twice about that dessert. Hell, they had chocolate mousse at home and Jack was suddenly thinking how it would be more fun to sit in bed and lick it off of Ianto's chest in their bedroom. But no; Jack had promised a nice, quiet meal without any risk of Weevils or Rift activity and Jack was going to keep to his promise. Even if it did mean sitting through the coffee and chocolates at the end, making idle chit chat instead of making love right here and there. _Damn these twentieth century dating customs._

'I don't want to know it all,' Ianto said, breaking the mood almost instantly, as if the proverbial bull had just eyed the new china shop across the way. Before he could stop himself, because he knew if he did he would never have another chance, he continued. 'I just want to understand. I just want to help.' With his final sentence escaping his lips, he kept his eyes fixed on Jack, hoping to see any shift or acceptance in his partner's eyes. He was rewarded with another soft kiss to knuckles before being tugged lightly across the table, meeting Jack's lips in the middle as he closed his eyes. In the far off distance, Ianto became aware of a woman's wolf whistle and felt Jack's lips form into a smile. They broke away after a while and settled back into their seats.

'You help more than you'll ever know, Ianto Jones.' Still with his hand gripping Ianto's, he cleared his throat and began to tell his story. The dessert came, the coffee and chocolates came and the idle chit chat broke the tension and heartache Jack's story filled the room with. The bill was paid and Ianto retrieved their coats from the cloakroom.

'Let's go home,' Ianto said, holding his hand out and waiting for Jack to take hold. And as they stepped out into the cold wind of the night, Jack uttered two little words to the wind; loud enough for Ianto to hear, but quiet enough to let the moment remain between the two of them.

'My angel.'

THE END

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**'Under Your Skin.' I'm bad for writing this sort of thing, but I promise it will not be a truly fun trip. For I looked into the angst and the angst looked into me *evil grin*:**

**"Ianto wasn't that worried, which was slightly weird considering the circumstances. But he had done this before and was quite content in walking in heels, although he was sure he could have picked out a better pair himself. It was just Gwen who he was worried about. She had never been in this kind of situation; she was looking nervous, aggitated and he should have been more caring. But if she pulled at his shirt sleeves one more time and kept that stupid look on his face, he was seriously going to have to consider kicking his own arse."**

**Oh, can you guess what happens? You probably can so I warn you (and urge you also to read) that this won't be your usual body-swap story. Things are gonna get ugly between Gwen and Ianto and they will be suffering from my angst pen. *evil grin***


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